No Ownership, No Approval — But Rs. 8.8M Compensation Claimed?

COLOMBO (News 1st); Former State Minister Shasheendra Rajapaksa has been remanded until the 19th, following his arrest by the Bribery Commission over an incident involving the unauthorized construction of a building and other property on land belonging to the Mahaweli Authority.

The case concerns compensation exceeding Rs. 8.8 million, allegedly claimed for damages said to have occurred during the Aragalaya.

On Wednesday (6) morning, former State Minister Shasheendra Rajapaksa was taken into custody by officials of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) and was presented before Colombo Chief Magistrate Thanuja Lakmali Jayatunga at the official residence, later in the day.

CIABOC officials stated that Shasheendra Rajapaksa had constructed a building and operated a political office while temporarily residing on a plot of land in the Samagi Pura area, which belongs to the Mahaweli Authority and is part of the Kiriibban Wewa region.

The Commission pointed out that neither Rajapaksa nor any other individual had been legally granted ownership of this land by the Mahaweli Authority or the President through any official documentation.

They further revealed that during the 2022 public uprising, the property in question was damaged, and the former State Minister had submitted a signed request for compensation. However, the Office for Reparations had rejected this request.

CIABOC also noted that Rajapaksa later informed the Office for Reparations that he had no objection to paying compensation to a person named Manoj Ekanayake, who was claimed to be the owner of the property.

The Commission alleged that Rajapaksa had pressured the Director General of the Mahaweli Authority to formally transfer the property—despite Ekanayake having no legal ownership—and had obtained a total of Rs. 8.85 million in compensation in two separate instances.

CIABOC stated that this act constitutes "corruption" under the Bribery Act and that investigations into the incident are ongoing.

Officials also mentioned that statements are to be recorded from several officers of the Office for Reparations, and that the suspect will be prosecuted under the Bribery Act and the Public Property Act.

They added that a certificate from an Assistant Superintendent of Police would be submitted under the Public Property Act in relation to the suspect.

Accordingly, CIABOC officials requested the Chief Magistrate to remand the suspect until the conclusion of the case under the Public Property Act.

President’s Counsel Anil Silva, appearing on behalf of Shasheendra Rajapaksa, argued that charges could not be filed against his client under either the Bribery Act or the Public Property Act.

He stated that although CIABOC claimed an unauthorized construction had taken place on the land, there was no legal basis to proceed under the Bribery Act.

He further argued that the compensation money had been received by a person named Ekanayake, and that presenting his client in court without arresting and producing Ekanayake was baseless.

He requested that his client be released on bail under any condition.

After considering all submissions, the Chief Magistrate rejected the bail request and ordered that the suspect be remanded until the 19th of this month.