Former top officials in compensation office face arrest: Bribery Commission

• Court orders full medical report on Shasheendra’s illness  

By Bhagya Silva  

The Bribery Commission yesterday informed Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama that steps had been taken to arrest a former Additional Secretary and Director attached to the Office of Compensation, in connection with a case involving former State Minister Shasheendra Rajapaksa.  

It was alleged that the former State Minister had obtained Rs. 8.8 million as compensation for a house in the Kiribbanwewa area, by exerting undue influence on officials and presenting false claims that the house had been destroyed by protesters.  

Investigations have revealed that the said Additional Secretary and Director had conspired to facilitate the payment of funds to the former State Minister, and accordingly, measures had been taken to arrest them. The Bribery Commission further informed Court that several more suspects connected to the incident are due to be taken into custody.  

When the case was taken up, President’s Counsel Anuja Premaratne, appearing on behalf of the suspect, submitted that his client had been hospitalised the previous day owing to a medical condition caused by high sodium levels, which had affected his kidneys. He therefore sought appropriate consideration from Court with regard to his client’s health condition.  

The Magistrate observed that while the suspect may be unwell, such an illness should be temporary. Noting that no special grounds for granting bail had been placed before Court, he ordered that a full medical report, detailing the exact nature of the suspect’s illness and treatment received during remand, be submitted to Court.  

Having considered the submissions, Chief Magistrate Bodaragama ordered that Shasheendra Rajapaksa be further remanded till October 14. The Magistrate also permitted the Bribery Commission to obtain a statement from the suspect under Section 3 of the Bribery Act on October 3.