The Harak Kata bribery case deepens as three suspects are remanded again and court hears claims linked to Wijeyadasa Rajapaksa.
The Harak Kata bribery case took a fresh turn today (03) after Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama ordered three suspects, including lawyer Rakitha Rajapaksa, to be further remanded until the 17th.
The case concerns an alleged Rs. 12 million bribe said to have been accepted to secure special privileges for organized criminal “Harak Kata.”
Those remanded are lawyer Rakitha Nirmal Rajapaksa, son of a former Justice Minister, Charith Wasantha Kumara Abeysinghe, Horana constituency organizer of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya, and Aruna Sri Chathuranga Varushahennadi, a former director of the Civil Aviation Authority.
The Magistrate rejected the bail applications filed on behalf of the suspects, stating that they had not presented sufficient grounds for bail.
Harak Kata Bribery Case Claims Widen
The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption made a special revelation before court.
Assistant Director Anusha Sambandhapperuma, appearing for the Bribery Commission, said investigators had found that former Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapaksa was also in Dubai when the suspects travelled there to receive the alleged bribe money.
She told court that a wider investigation has begun to determine whether Wijeyadasa Rajapaksa had any involvement or intervention in the large-scale bribe transaction.
Investigators have also revealed that the Rs. 2 million received by the first suspect was returned to the first complainant, Maheshika Madhuwanthi, wife of “Harak Kata,” through Lasantha Manjula de Silva, a friend of “Herbi” Nirmal Bandara.
The money was allegedly handed over at Wijayaba Mawatha, Nawala Road, Nugegoda. Court was told the house belongs to Wijeyadasa Rajapaksa.
Investigators also said the money received by the suspects had allegedly come through the Undiyal system.
Further investigations are continuing into that transaction, as well as the mobile phones and WhatsApp communications used by the three suspects.
