By Roy Denish.
Harak Kata bribery probe widens as the Bribery Commission tells court Rs.20 million was returned at a Nugegoda residence.
The Harak Kata bribery probe has widened after investigators told court that underworld-linked cash changed hands at the Nawala residence of former Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe.
Anti-corruption officials allege the money was a partial refund tied to a failed agreement with kingpin Nadun Chinthaka Wickramaratne, widely known as “Harak Kata.”
The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption informed the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court that 20 million rupees went back to his associates. Investigators said the exchange took place at the private residence on Vijayaba Mawatha in Nugegoda.
The payment was linked to a larger 120-million-rupee advance allegedly paid by Harak Kata’s wife, Madushika Maduwanthi, to secure favorable state intervention for her husband.
Harak Kata bribery probe turns to refund
Deputy Director General of the Bribery Commission Anusha Sambandapperuma told court that the refund followed the suspects’ failure to deliver what they had promised.
The group had allegedly agreed to use official influence to weaken ongoing criminal investigations against Harak Kata. They also allegedly promised to cancel his active detention orders and stop his transfer to the high-security Boossa Prison.
However, the kingpin remained under strict state custody. As a result, his wife repeatedly pressed local intermediaries to return the bribe money. Investigators say that pressure led to the 20-million-rupee cash exchange at the former minister’s home.
The alleged plot began during meetings in Dubai. Three key suspects traveled together from Sri Lanka on a single flight on March 25, 2023.
They were Rakitha Nirmala Rajapakshe, an attorney and the son of the former justice minister; Charith Wasantha Kumara Abeysinghe, a political organizer for the opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya; and Aruna Sri Warushahennadige, a former executive director of Airport and Aviation Services Sri Lanka Limited.
Investigators said the suspects first demanded 500 million rupees before reducing the amount to 200 million rupees.
Dubai travel records face review
The Bribery Commission has placed former Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe under close scrutiny because he was in Dubai during the same period.
Official travel records presented to court showed that the former minister left Sri Lanka for Dubai on March 21, 2023, and returned on March 28, 2023. That period overlapped with the alleged negotiations involving his son, the co-accused, Harak Kata’s wife, and an associate known as “Midigama Ruwan.”
Investigators are examining the former minister’s itinerary, international meetings, and possible links to the alleged offense. They are also focusing on the use of his personal property in the suspected distribution of illicit cash.
Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga Bodaragama rejected the bail applications filed by the defense. The court ruled that the suspects had failed to show exceptional circumstances for release, given the seriousness of the corruption charges under the Bribery Act.
Rakitha Rajapakshe, Charith Abeysinghe, and Aruna Sri Warushahennadige were ordered to remain further remanded in prison custody as the Harak Kata bribery probe continues.
