A Colombo court has ruled there’s no legal barrier to arresting former Minister Rajitha Senaratne over a Rs. 2.63 billion loss linked to a controversial sand mining deal at the Kirinda Fisheries Harbour. The Corruption Commission has full authority to proceed.
Colombo Additional Magistrate Harshana Kakunawela announced today (July 11) that there is no requirement for a court-issued warrant to arrest former Fisheries Minister Rajitha Senaratne, as he has already been named a suspect in an ongoing corruption investigation.
The magistrate made this statement while responding to a request from the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption, which sought clarification on whether a warrant was needed to proceed with Senaratne’s arrest.
According to the court, no legal barrier exists preventing the Commission from taking the former minister into custody and producing him in court.
The investigation centers around serious allegations that the government suffered a major financial loss after awarding a lucrative sand mining project at the Kirinda Fisheries Harbour to a Korean company under questionable circumstances.
Magistrate Kakunawela emphasized that since the Corruption Eradication Commission has already identified Senaratne as a suspect, they are fully authorized to make an arrest without further judicial approval.
The Commission alleges that the Fisheries Harbour Corporation’s decision to transfer control of the sand mining project to the foreign company resulted in a loss exceeding Rs. 2.63 billion to the Sri Lankan government.
As part of the broader anti-corruption efforts, this case is expected to be a significant test of accountability involving high-profile political figures and public assets.
