The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) told the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court that it would freeze a luxury house belonging to the first suspect in the alleged Rs. 120 million bribery case linked to Nadun Chinthaka Wickramaratne, known as ‘Harak Kata’.
The Commission made the disclosure before Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama when the case was taken up on a motion it had filed.
CIABOC also informed the court that transactions involving two vehicles belonging to the wife and the father of the third suspect, Waruna Handige Aruna Chathuranga, had been prohibited.
It said four bank accounts and several luxury vehicles belonging to the second suspect, Rakitha Rajapakshe, the son of former Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, had already been frozen.
The Commission said the asset-freezing measures were being carried out under the Proceeds of Crime Act, No. 5 of 2025.
CIABOC told the court that the relevant reports would be submitted within 72 hours and asked for another date to report on the progress of the investigation. The Chief Magistrate fixed the case for 8 December.
Background
The investigation centres on allegations that Rs. 120 million was demanded and obtained from the wife of alleged organised criminal and drug trafficker Nadun Chinthaka Wickramaratne, alias ‘Harak Kata’, in return for providing assistance to him.
Three suspects, including Rajapakshe and Chathuranga, were previously remanded in connection with the investigation and are currently out on bail. The suspects are accused of the allegations; none has been convicted.
The Proceeds of Crime Act, No. 5 of 2025, is the law under which the Commission said it is restraining the assets. Laws of this kind generally allow authorities to restrict the sale or transfer of property that is alleged to be linked to an offence while an investigation or case continues.
What it means
A freezing order does not decide guilt. In general, it prevents property from being sold, transferred or otherwise disposed of while the case is pending, so that it remains available if a court later makes an order against it.
The case is also a sign of how CIABOC is using the 2025 law against property of people accused in bribery investigations. The next hearing on 8 December will show what progress the Commission reports on the investigation and on the 72-hour reports it has promised the court.
