A dramatic twist unfolds in a major money laundering case as the defendant’s dementia diagnosis prompts a court-ordered psychiatric evaluation, putting the high-profile trial on hold.
In a significant development in the money laundering case involving former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s son Yoshitha Rajapaksa, High Court Judge Udesh Ranatunga has ordered a psychiatric evaluation for co-defendant Daisy Forrest. The court directive, issued yesterday (26), requires the Colombo Chief Judicial Medical Officer to determine whether Forrest is mentally fit to stand trial, following claims by her legal counsel that she suffers from dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
The case took an unexpected turn when President’s Counsel Anil de Silva informed the court earlier this month that maintaining proceedings against Forrest was challenging due to her medical condition. However, Deputy Solicitor General Janaka Bandara raised concerns about directly applying orders from a separate civil case regarding her property ownership to this criminal matter. The prosecution subsequently requested a thorough psychiatric assessment through judicial medical channels.
The court has now mandated that Forrest undergo detailed evaluation to establish her mental capacity to participate in the trial proceedings and properly advise her legal representatives. This development comes in a case that alleges Forrest failed to explain how she accumulated Rs. 735 million through transactions in Rajagiriya and Bambalapitiya between August 2012 and August 2013.
The charges extend to depositing substantial funds into bank accounts and fixed deposits, with authorities alleging these transactions clearly indicated money obtained through illegal activities. The case encompasses three serious charges under Sri Lanka’s anti-money laundering framework, including money laundering, abetting financial crimes, and criminal conspiracy, filed under Section 113A of the Penal Code and Section 35 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
