Gotabaya's Ex-Secretary Sugeeshwara Bandara Further Remanded as Bail Plea Denied

Former private secretary to ex-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Sugeeshwara Bandara, has been further remanded until September 09. The Colombo Fort Magistrate's Court, presided over by Magistrate Pasanda Amaraseana, rejected his bail plea on August 25. Bandara is currently detained in connection with an investigation by the Central Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB). He is accused of receiving salaries from two separate government positions simultaneously, allegedly under the Presidential expenditure head. The court cited a lack of exceptional circumstances and the nature of the investigation under the Public Property Act as reasons for denying bail.