Former CID Director W. Tillakaratne was arrested by the Central Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) in connection with the alleged illegal imposition of overseas travel bans on 704 CID officers in 2019.
Tillakaratne was taken into custody on Monday and later produced before court, which ordered his release on bail of Rs. 1 million.
Investigations relate to a decision taken during his tenure as CID Director to impose foreign travel restrictions on CID personnel without obtaining a court order. Under Sri Lankan law, overseas travel bans can only be enforced through judicial authorization.
During questioning, Tillakaratne reportedly told investigators that while he imposed the ban, he was unaware of the legal basis for doing so.
However, former Acting IGP C. D. Wickramaratne has denied issuing any such directive, stating that even if such an order had been given, it would have been unlawful and could have been disregarded.
The travel ban was reportedly imposed following the departure of senior CID officer Nishantha Silva from the country in late 2019, shortly after Gotabaya Rajapaksa assumed office as President.
Further investigations are ongoing. (Newswire)