Yoshitha Rajapaksa, son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, was arrested by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) on June 17th in connection with an investigation into alleged irregularities surrounding his recruitment to the Sri Lanka Navy and subsequent training. He was later granted bail by the Colombo Chief Magistrate's Court.
Rajapaksa had appeared before the Bribery Commission on June 17th to provide a statement regarding the ongoing probe. He had previously informed the commission that he was unable to attend proceedings on June 16th due to a separate hearing at the Court of Appeal.
Following his arrest, Rajapaksa was produced before the Colombo Chief Magistrate's Court, where Additional Magistrate Lahiru Silva ordered his release on three sureties of Rs. 5 million each. The court also imposed a foreign travel ban on Rajapaksa. As part of the bail conditions, the sureties are required to submit grama sewa certificates confirming their residence and affidavits proving their income.
The CIABOC stated that the arrest relates to alleged irregularities in Rajapaksa's recruitment and training process. According to the commission, he was allegedly engaged as an officer in the Sri Lanka Navy in 2006 without fulfilling prescribed qualifications. Sources further indicate that the required qualifications for his recruitment as an executive officer were allegedly altered, and he subsequently obtained training at the Royal Naval Academy in the United Kingdom using state funds. These allegations are framed as corruption causing financial loss to the government.
Separately, on June 16th, Rajapaksa appeared before the Court of Appeal for the hearing of his revision petition. This petition seeks to overturn a Colombo High Court order that allowed a conspiracy charge against him under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act to proceed. The Court of Appeal bench, comprising Justices Amal Ranaraja and Dr. Sumudu Premachandra, concluded hearings on the matter and announced that its order will be delivered on July 3rd. Rajapaksa's petition contends that the conspiracy charge cannot be maintained. Attorney Hafiel Faris argued on behalf of Rajapaksa, while Deputy Solicitor General Janaka Bandara represented the Attorney General.