The Supreme Court has fixed December 4 for the hearing of a fundamental rights petition concerning the alleged non-payment of a Rs. 2.68 million electricity bill incurred during the wedding of MP Namal Rajapaksa in 2019.

The petition seeks a ruling that the failure to recover the charges for electricity supplied to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s residence in Weeraketiya for the wedding violated the public’s fundamental rights.

The petition was taken up before Supreme Court Justices A.H.M.D. Nawaz and Sampath Abeykoon on Friday (24).

Considering submissions made before the court, the bench permitted the petitioner to name the relevant successor company as a respondent, as the Ceylon Electricity Board is currently undergoing restructuring.

The petition, filed by attorney-at-law Vijitha Kumara, states that Namal Rajapaksa’s wedding celebrations were held at the Weeraketiya residence from September 12 to 15, 2019.

According to the petitioner, the electricity supplied for the event amounted to Rs. 2,682,246.57.

The petition states that MP D.V. Chanaka had requested the then Minister of Power and Energy to provide security lighting to the residence and surrounding areas during the celebrations.

The minister had subsequently instructed electricity authorities to provide the required supply after being informed that members of the family were prepared to settle the relevant charges, the petition claims.

However, the petitioner alleges that the bill remains unpaid and that the respondents abused their authority to obtain the electricity supply and avoid payment.

The petitioner further states that the CEB disconnected the electricity supply to his residence over the non-payment of a monthly bill of Rs. 7,390, while no such action was taken over the substantially larger bill connected to the Weeraketiya residence.

Claiming that this amounted to unequal treatment before the law, the petitioner has sought a declaration that his fundamental rights guaranteed under Article 12(1) of the Constitution were violated.

Former State Minister Sanath Nishantha had, before his death, told the media that he had settled the electricity bill incurred for Namal Rajapaksa’s wedding. (Newswire)

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MP Ramanathan Archchuna has predicted that MP Namal Rajapaksa will return to power in 2029, arguing that public dissatisfaction with the country’s current trajectory could result in voters bringing the Rajapaksas back into government.

“Record this and keep it. Namal will come in 2029. No one can stop that. I don’t have any personal desire for Namal to come to power. But given the condition the country is in, the people will hand it back to the Rajapaksas,” he said.

Speaking to journalists, Ramanathan also criticized the current opposition, saying an effective opposition leader must be strong and outspoken.

“The problem with our Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa is that he is very soft. When you’re in the opposition, you can’t be throwing bouquets; you have to be throwing brickbats,” he said.

He further claimed that there is currently no strong opposition figure in the country. While praising MP Chamara Sampath’s speaking abilities, Ramanathan said he lacked other qualities required for leadership.

Asked whether Namal Rajapaksa would be a suitable opposition leader, Ramanathan said Rajapaksa did not need the position.

“Namal Rajapaksa doesn’t need to become Opposition Leader. He will become President. You can keep this on record. I will not be in politics at that time, but you will see,” he said.

Ramanathan added that he had previously been dismissed as “crazy” when he predicted the political rise of Indian actor-turned-politician Vijjay Joseph, whom he said later achieved electoral success. (Newswire)

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Tamil Solidarity has called on the Oxford Union and the Cambridge Union to cancel scheduled speaking events featuring MP Namal Rajapaksa later this month.

In a statement, the organization said it was “deeply outraged” over plans for Rajapaksa to speak at the Oxford Union on Feb. 25 and the Cambridge Union on Feb. 27, arguing that granting him a platform amounts to political rehabilitation.

The group alleges that Rajapaksa, a senior figure in the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna and son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, is linked to a political legacy associated with war crimes, corruption and repression in Sri Lanka.

Tamil Solidarity has demanded the immediate cancellation of both events and called for an explanation from the unions regarding the invitation. The organization also warned of possible protests if the events proceed.

Tamil Solidarity is a diaspora advocacy organization established in 2009 in response to the final stages of Sri Lanka’s war, campaigning on issues related to alleged war crimes, accountability and the rights of Tamil-speaking people. (Newswire)

Full statement:

Open Statement: The Oxford and Cambridge Unions must not become image-laundering platforms for criminals

It is with deep outrage that we learn Namal Rajapaksa is scheduled to speak at the Oxford Union on 25th February 2026 and the Cambridge Union on 27th February 2026. The Oxford Union and the Cambridge Union are two of the most renowned student debating societies in the world, formed to protect the right to freedom of speech. Namal Rajapaksa is not a legitimate political figure deserving of such a platform.

Let us be clear, Namal is now a central figure of the Rajapaksa regime. The two events appear to be a deliberate platforming of a representative of a family synonymous with war crimes, mass repression, corruption, and the brutal persecution of Tamils in Sri Lanka.

He is the son of Mahinda Rajapaksa, the architect of the genocidal onslaught that annihilated tens of thousands of Tamil civilians in 2009 which entrenched a culture of impunity that continues to this day, and institutionalised state terror in the years that followed.

Alongside Gotabaya Rajapaksa, they are inseparable from enforced disappearances, torture chambers, mass graves and systemic crushing of dissent. In 2022, the Rajapaksa regime was overthrown by the Aragalaya mass protest as a result of their corrupt reign, which saw the country plummet further into economic crisis and bankruptcy. The Rajapaksa clan remain ousted and rejected by the vast majority of the Sri Lankan population, including the Tamil, Sinhala and Muslim populations.

Instead of distancing himself from these crimes and figures who have been firmly ousted by the masses, Namal Rajapaksa has consistently defended and benefitted from this violent regime. He stands accused of serious offences including corruption, money laundering, academic fraud, intimidation, and involvement in grave human rights abuses.

Journalists, whistleblowers, political opponents and oppressed communities who challenged the Rajapaksa’s are known to have been abducted, raped, tortured, disappeared, and murdered: a reign of terror that remains largely unpunished even with the new regime under NPP-led Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

Namal is currently the national organiser for the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (‘SLPP’), the political party that restored the Rajapaksa family including Namal, who became the Minister of Youth and Sports to power in 2019, and oversaw further repression, corruption, and economic collapse. Even after the Aragalaya mass protest, criminal investigations into the Rajapaksa family are prevented by impunity whilst Namal rose safely through the corridors of political power.

To grant such a figure a platform within the Oxford Union and the Cambridge Union is not academic engagement, it is political rehabilitation.

Oxford University and Cambridge University are home to Tamil students, many of whom are the children of genocide survivors, refugees, and families who fled state violence. This invitation by the Oxford Union and the Cambridge Union is undoubtedly re-traumatising for its students and communities directly impacted by mass atrocities.

Under the guise of ‘free speech’, these events legitimise alleged perpetrators of war crimes and corruption, and turn academic spaces into image-laundering platforms for impunity. There is no neutrality in the face of genocide and war crimes.

We therefore demand the immediate cancellation of both events, a full explanation from the Unions of how such a decision was allowed to proceed, and a commitment that individuals implicated in war crimes and corruption will not be platformed within the Unions.

Should these events proceed, students and the wider community will be forced to mobilise in opposition, with a real risk of lawful citizen intervention including citizens arrest.

War criminals and their political heirs do not belong in our academic spaces.
Genocide will not be whitewashed. Crimes against humanity will not be normalised.

If the Oxford Union and the Cambridge Union proceed with these events, they do so with the knowledge that they have chosen to protect an alleged perpetrator over students, communities and survivors he helped destroy and they alone will bear responsibility for the consequences that follow.

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The Colombo High Court today postponed the case filed against MP Namal Rajapaksa over the alleged “Krrish” deal until Feb. 19.

The postponement was ordered as lawyers decided to refrain from court duties today (16).

However, when the case was called, Rajapaksa was present in court.

Accordingly, the Colombo High Court fixed Feb. 19 as the next hearing date.

The Attorney General has filed the case against Rajapaksa alleging that he misappropriated Rs. 70 million received from the Indian Krrish company, purportedly for the promotion of rugby in Sri Lanka.

Legal officers across Sri Lanka have supported the Bar Association of Sri Lanka’s decision to refrain from court work today, following the murder of a lawyer and his wife in Akuregoda on Friday. (Newswire)

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Public security cannot be guaranteed at a time when killings take place near the residence of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, MP Namal Rajapaksa said.

“The ministers claim they have stopped these daily shootings. However they have actually failed in that endeavour” Rajapaksa said, speaking to media.

He said ministers have claimed that all key decisions are made in Pelawatte, the party headquarters. He questioned how public security could be guaranteed when killings were taking place in the area, referring to the recent murder of a lawyer and his wife in Akuregoda.

He said similar incidents had occurred in the recent past, including a killing inside a courtroom and an assault on a lawyer near a court complex.

He also referred to an incident in which an MP allegedly assaulted a Police officer following a raid on an illicit marijuana cultivation site.

Rajapaksa said the Health Minister had meanwhile warned doctors that public sentiment could turn against them. He alleged that the government was attempting to use public pressure to suppress its opponents.

He also noted that some individuals had criticized the conviction of those found guilty of killing former MP Amarakeethi Athukorala during the Aragalaya movement.

Rajapaksa said the government would not succeed if it believed it could survive by suppressing the judiciary, doctors and others. (Newswire)

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SLPP National Organiser and Member of Parliament Namal Rajapaksa arrived at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) a short while ago in response to a summons over alleged links to underworld figure “Kehelbaddara Padme.”

Kehelbaddara Padme, a wanted criminal, was arrested in Indonesia and brought to Sri Lanka in August 2025 as part of a major operation by Sri Lanka Police.

Since his return, several of his associates have been arrested, and Police have attributed multiple narcotics busts to intelligence obtained during his interrogation.

The CID recently questioned former Minister Prasanna Ranatunga as part of the same investigation.

According to officials, Ranatunga was extensively questioned about his alleged ties to Padme, based on a statement the suspect made while in custody. (Newswire)

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A new investigation by The Examiner has raised fresh questions over SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa’s admission to Sri Lanka Law College in 2009, alleging irregularities in the recognition and completeness of his academic qualifications.

According to the report, Law College admitted Rajapaksa on the same day he submitted his application, despite City University of London — where Rajapaksa claimed to have completed his LLB — not being recognised by Law College at the time.

An RTI response cited in the story shows the university was added to the approved list only on 15 October 2009, nearly three weeks after his enrolment.

The Examiner further reports that Rajapaksa’s student file does not contain a degree certificate, only a transcript and a letter from City University confirming a “Third Class degree”.

The publication also noted discrepancies between the transcript submitted to Law College and a separate degree certificate produced years later for a master’s programme, which carries the signature of a vice chancellor who had already left office.

Rajapaksa has rejected the allegations as entirely false. Speaking to reporters he said that the government initiated a B report soon after taking office seeking to investigate his degree, but months of inquiries had not produced any findings in court.

“This government, just weeks after taking office, submitted a B report to investigate my degree. Several months have passed, but nothing has been officially reported. Now they are frightened by the Nugegoda rally and spreading false propaganda. We will respond to all these allegations on the 21st,” he said, referring to the opposition rally scheduled for Friday, November 21.

Rajapaksa also says the University of London has published a list where his name appears among its list of 100 notable alumni. (Newswire)

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The Colombo High Court has ordered the re-convening of the case filed by the Attorney General against Parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa for September 26.

The case, filed by the Attorney General, involves allegations that Rajapaksa received Rs. 70 million from the Indian company Krrish under the pretense of promoting rugby.

Rajapaksa was present in court when the case was taken up today. (Newswire)

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A tense exchange took place between Deputy Minister of Digital Economy Eranga Weerarathne and MP Namal Rajapaksa during the second reading of the Personal Data Protection (Amendment) Bill.

MP Rajapaksa questioned several areas of the bill, particularly regarding the location of proposed data centres and the custodianship of national data. “Where will the data centres be? You can respond if you know. Who is the custodian?” he asked.

In response, Deputy Minister Weerarathne said that the government has initiated a tender process to acquire new data centres. “You are not aware of this government’s digitalisation programme. Existing data centres from previous administrations are no longer functioning properly. We have therefore called for new tenders for a government cloud-based data centre,” he said.

Weerarathne also addressed concerns regarding the digital identification project. “Earlier agreements would have allowed foreign access—specifically India—to our systems at any time. We’ve since amended these agreements to ensure national data sovereignty,” he said.

Rajapaksa challenged the Deputy Minister’s claims, stating, “They’re saying data will be leaked to India. How can that be? The Data Protection Act was brought to prevent such leaks. Are you making this statement responsibly?”

Weerarathne reiterated that updated agreements ensure only Sri Lankans can access the system, and that all relevant details are included in the tender documentation.

“Please don’t lie. If you do, it’s the Foreign Minister who will have to deal with the consequences,” Rajapaksa added. (Newswire)

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MP Namal Rajapaksa has urged the government to launch an investigation into USAID-funded projects and grants in Sri Lanka, citing concerns over transparency and accountability.

In a post published on ‘X’, Rajapaksa highlighted recent allegations in Western media that USAID funds have been used to cause instability in various countries under the guise of humanitarian aid.

He noted that Sri Lanka has received millions of dollars from USAID in recent years, with over 100 NGOs, as well as politicians and media figures, benefiting from these funds.

“I call upon the govt. to conduct a probe on these projects and grants operated under USAID and present a detailed report to Parliament. A detailed account on these NGOs who benefitted from them must also be submitted,” he said.

Rajapaksa stressed that despite USAID’s involvement in multiple sectors, there has been no clear accounting of how these funds were utilized. He called on the government to present a detailed report to Parliament, listing the NGOs that received USAID funding.

He also urged the government to introduce long-pending regulations on NGO financing.

“Regulations for financing NGO’s has been on the cards for many years but it has not yet been done. I request the govt. to bring in these regulations to maintain transparency.” (Newswire)

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