Samagi Jana Balawegaya MP Chaminda Wijesiri has been granted bail by the Badulla High Court following his conviction for threatening and assaulting police officers in 2019, pending his appeal of the 18-month sentence.
Chaminda Wijesiri, a Member of Parliament representing the Samagi Jana Balawegaya party, has been released on bail while appealing his conviction and 18-month prison sentence handed down by the Badulla High Court in July 2026. The court approved his bail application after considering the details of his appeal.
Wijesiri was found guilty of multiple charges relating to an incident in February 2019 near Bandarawela town. According to prosecution accounts, an altercation occurred when Wijesiri's vehicle and a police jeep were travelling in the area, allegedly triggered when the police jeep overtook his SUV. The MP and individuals accompanying him were accused of obstructing the police vehicle's path, issuing death threats to the officers inside, and subsequently assaulting them, resulting in bodily injuries.
The court found Wijesiri and his driver Bandula Rathnayake guilty of four charges each, including wrongful restraint, assault, causing injuries, and issuing death threats. A Ministerial Security Division officer named Rasika Karunathilaka was found guilty of three related charges. Notably, Rathnayake passed away during the legal proceedings. The case also initially involved charges against a Ministerial Security Division officer.
As a condition of his bail, Wijesiri has been prohibited from travelling outside Sri Lanka without obtaining prior court approval. The bail decision allows the MP to remain free while pursuing his legal challenge to both the conviction and the sentence imposed by the Badulla High Court.
