Former Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe has come under scrutiny in the ongoing bribery investigation involving his son, attorney Rakhitha Rajapaksa, SJB Horana organizer Charith Abeysinghe and another suspect.

The Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court today rejected the bail applications filed by the three suspects and ordered them to be further remanded until July 17.The case relates to an alleged Rs. 120 million bribe obtained from the wife of underworld figure Harak Kata, alias Nadun Chinthaka, while he was in the custody of the Criminal Investigation Department.Making submissions in court, the Bribery Commission said investigations had revealed that the suspects had travelled to Dubai on March 25, 2023 and returned to Sri Lanka on March 29, 2023.The Commission further informed court that Rakhitha Rajapaksa’s father, former Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, had also been in Dubai at the time, having left Sri Lanka on March 21, 2023.

The Bribery Commission said investigators were probing the purpose of the former minister’s visit to Dubai, the persons he had met there, and whether he had any connection to the alleged offence.The Commission also told court that part of the money had allegedly been handed over through intermediaries at a location on Wijeyaba Mawatha, Nawala, where the residence of Rakhitha Rajapaksa’s father is located.Defense lawyers rejected the allegations and requested bail for the suspects, arguing that the matters raised should be tested during trial.However, Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama rejected the bail applications, stating that no exceptional grounds had been presented at this stage.

The suspects were ordered to be further remanded until July 17.