News Today: Court issues arrest warrant for Rajitha Senaratne over Kirinda Fisheries Harbour bribery case after

The Colombo Additional Magistrate has issued an arrest warrant for former Minister and ex-Member of Parliament Rajitha Senaratne. The order came yesterday following a motion filed by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC).

Senaratne is a suspect in an ongoing investigation into a controversial sand dredging project at the Kirinda Fisheries Harbour, which was allegedly awarded to a foreign company. According to investigators, the project caused a financial loss of more than Rs. 26 million to the Sri Lankan government.

The motion presented to court named Rajitha Senaratne as the second suspect in the case. CIABOC informed the magistrate that the former minister had repeatedly ignored summonses to appear before investigators, obstructing the ongoing inquiry. They further stated that he had disconnected his phone and vacated his residence, prompting the commission to request legal action for his arrest.

The case against Senaratne dates back to 2023 and relates to actions taken during his tenure as Fisheries Minister in 2014. CIABOC alleges that he unlawfully leased the Kirinda Fisheries Harbour to Sea Gulf UK Private Ltd at a lower-than-market rate between August 1 and November 1, 2014.

In addition to this, the Bribery Commission has filed indictments against Senaratne, former Ceylon Fisheries Harbour Corporation (CFHC) Chairman Upali Liyanage, and former CFHC Managing Director Neil Ravindra Munasinghe. They face five charges under Section 70 of the Bribery Act.

The allegations also extend to a separate case involving the Modara Fisheries Harbour, which was allegedly leased to a private company under questionable terms during his ministerial tenure. This latest arrest warrant marks a significant escalation in the legal proceedings against the former minister, whose whereabouts remain unknown.