The Matara Magistrate’s Court has issued an open warrant for the arrest of former Minister Basil Rajapaksa in connection with an ongoing investigation into the purchase of a property at Brown’s Hill in Matara.
The order was issued following a report submitted to the court by the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) regarding the case.
The investigation concerns the acquisition of an approximately one-and-a-half-acre property located along Eliyakanda Road in Brown’s Hill, Matara, which is allegedly linked to the former Minister.
The property, reportedly a coconut cultivation land, had previously belonged to German national Herbert Keller and was allegedly purchased by Rajapaksa for Rs. 60 million.
In an earlier development on October 6, the FCID informed the Matara Magistrate’s Court that steps would be taken to suspend the use of the property as part of the ongoing investigation.
Meanwhile, Matara Chief Magistrate Chathura Dissanayake had previously ordered the forfeiture of Rajapaksa’s bail money and the recovery of bail amounts from his sureties after the former Minister failed to appear before court on several occasions.
The latest open warrant follows these earlier court proceedings concerning the disputed property acquisition. (Newswire)