Basil Wanted Over Brown’s Hill Land Case

COLOMBO (News 1st); Matara Chief Magistrate Chathuranga Eranga Dissanayake today ordered the issuance of a warrant for the arrest of former Minister Basil Rajapaksa.

The order was issued after Rajapaksa failed to appear before the Matara Magistrate’s Court in connection with a case filed against him over the alleged purchase of a one-and-a-half-acre plot of land located at Browns Hill, Eliyakanda Road, Matara, using unlawfully acquired funds.

The case was filed by the Police Financial Crimes Investigation Division against Basil Rajapaksa, his wife’s sister Ayoma Galappaththi, her husband Tissa Galappaththi Muditha Jayakody, over the alleged illegal acquisition of property in the Browns Hill area.

Appearing on behalf of Rajapaksa, President’s Counsel Anil de Silva presented medical reports to court, stating that his client was currently overseas undergoing treatment due to ill health and therefore unable to appear before court.

However, Senior State Counsel Kalana Kodikara, appearing on behalf of the Attorney General, informed court that air tickets had been booked for Rajapaksa to return to Sri Lanka on the day of the hearing and were subsequently cancelled. 

He further stated that the accused had been evading court appearances for nearly a year while presenting the same medical report repeatedly, thereby misleading the court.

The State Counsel also revealed that even the ticket bookings appeared to have been arranged to mislead judicial proceedings.

Taking into consideration the submissions made and the continued failure of Rajapaksa to appear before court, the Chief Magistrate ordered that a warrant be issued for his arrest.

The court further directed that the suspect be immediately taken into custody and produced before court, while also imposing a travel ban on him.

In addition, the third accused Basil Rajapaksa and the fourth accused Ayoma Galappaththi did not appear before open court during today’s proceedings, although their sureties were present.

The Magistrate instructed the sureties that it is their responsibility to produce the accused before court on the next hearing date, scheduled for July 21. 

The court warned that failure to do so would result in forfeiture of bail money, and ordered the sureties to show cause if the accused are not produced on the specified date.