In a significant legal development, the Supreme Court has issued an order suspending a payment of 150 million rupees to a construction company known as 2K, linked to a dispute involving former minister Bandula Gunawardena. The court has ruled that no changes can be made to the existing conditions or positions until the next hearing on March 22, 2025.
The case centers on allegations that the former minister and the then secretary of the Ministry exerted undue influence on the Road Development Authority (RDA) Board of Directors, pushing for the payment of an additional 150 million rupees to 2K, despite the company already having been fully paid for its services. The RDA’s Board of Directors, after reviewing the matter, refused to approve the extra payment, citing it as unlawful.
This decision to withhold the payment allegedly led to the removal of the chairman of the Road Development Authority. Following this, the newly appointed acting chairman, who was the former secretary of the Ministry, dissolved the board of directors. Mahesh Wickrama, the executive director of Maganaguma, filed a fundamental rights petition in response to the dissolution, contesting the actions taken after the board objected to the payment.
A three-judge bench, including Justices Yasanta Kodagoda, Arjuna Obeysekera, and Priyantha Fernando, heard the case on September 24. They ordered the suspension of the disputed payment and ruled that the current conditions regarding the involved parties must remain unchanged until further hearings.
The petitioners’ case was presented by lawyer Kanishka Witharana before the Supreme Court, leading to this critical ruling. The case will now proceed with further hearings in 2025, with the court’s interim decision halting any attempts to alter the financial or administrative arrangements in question.
This case has garnered widespread attention as it involves senior officials and raises questions about the influence wielded in the financial dealings of government construction projects.
