Ex-Justice Minister’s son among three arrested for allegedly demanding bribe from wife of underworld figure

The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) yesterday said that the arrest of three individuals, including the son of former Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe and a Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) organiser, was in connection with a high-profile bribery investigation linked to underworld figure Nadun Chinthaka Wickramaratne alias Harak Kata. Those arrested were Attorney-at-Law Rakhitha Rajapakshe, son of former Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, SJB Horana electorate organiser Charith Abeysinghe, and former Civil Aviation Authority Director Aruna Sri Chathuranga. According to the CIABOC, in 2023, while Harak Kata was being held by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), a bribe of Rs. 500 million had allegedly been demanded from his wife, Madushika Madhuwanthi, in Dubai to secure Harak Kata’s release from detention or facilitate his transfer to a prison other than the Boossa High Security Prison in Galle, the CIABOC said. The CIABOC said the alleged bribe had subsequently been reduced to Rs. 200 million, of which Rs. 120 million had allegedly been obtained as an advance payment.The suspects were produced before the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court yesterday evening and ordered to be remanded till July 03. by Norman Palihawadane