Sugeeshwara Bandara, who served as private secretary to former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, has been further remanded in custody until September 9 after a court rejected his bail application. He faces accusations of receiving simultaneous salaries from two government positions.
Sugeeshwara Bandara appeared before the Colombo Fort Magistrate's Court on August 25, where his bail plea was rejected and he was remanded until September 9. The former private secretary to ex-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was arrested by the Central Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) on June 18 as part of an investigation into alleged salary irregularities within government institutions.
Bandara is accused of receiving dual salaries under the President's expenditure budget. According to investigators' statements presented to court, he simultaneously drew salary as a secretary to former President Rajapaksa in 2022 while also serving as a Project Director at the Presidential Secretariat during the tenure of former President Ranil Wickremesinghe. The CCIB is investigating allegations that state vehicles were misused and government employees were deployed for political activities during both periods when Bandara held these positions.
Investigative officers informed the court of alleged financial irregularities during his service. They reported that approximately Rs. 1.93 million was allegedly misused while he served as the President's secretary, and Rs. 4.26 million during his tenure as Project Director. These alleged offences fall under Section 5(1) of the Public Property Act and relevant sections of the Penal Code, according to officers.
