The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) has informed the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court that steps will be taken to freeze a luxury house belonging to Charith Abeysinghe, the first suspect in the alleged Rs. 120 million bribery case linked to notorious drug trafficker ‘Harak Kata’.
The Commission made the disclosure before Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama today (30), when the case was taken up following a motion filed by CIABOC.
The Bribery Commission also informed the court that steps had been taken to prohibit transactions involving two vehicles belonging to the wife and father of Waruna Handige Aruna Chathuranga, the third suspect in the case
Meanwhile, CIABOC confirmed that four bank accounts and several luxury vehicles belonging to Rakitha Rajapakshe, the second suspect and son of former Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, had been frozen.
The Commission informed the court that the asset-freezing measures were being carried out under the Proceeds of Crime Act, No. 5 of 2025.
CIABOC further stated that the relevant reports would be submitted to the court within 72 hours and requested another date to report progress.
After considering the submissions, the Colombo Chief Magistrate ordered that the case be taken up again on December 8.
The investigation concerns allegations that Rs. 120 million was demanded and obtained as a bribe from the wife of alleged organised criminal and drug trafficker Nandun Chinthaka Wickramaratne, alias ‘Harak Kata’, in return for providing assistance to him.
Charith Abeysinghe, Rakitha Rajapakshe and Waruna Handige Aruna Chathuranga were previously remanded in connection with the investigation and are currently out on bail. (Newswire)