'Politically Motivated' - Chamara Sampath's Lawyers Tell Court

COLOMBO (News 1st); Colombo Chief Magistrate Thanuja Lakmali ordered the remand of Member of Parliament Chamara Sampath Dasanayake until April 8. 

The decision was made after considering the submissions by Assistant Director of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption, Sulochana Hettiarachchi.

Dasanayake faces three charges based on a complaint filed in 2016 by current Minister and former Uva Provincial Council member Samantha Vidyaratna. 

The charges relate to financial misconduct during Dasanayake's tenure as Chief Minister of the Uva Province.

The MP was arrested on March 27 and remanded until today.

The charges involve the withdrawal of six fixed deposit accounts belonging to the Provincial Council, resulting in a loss exceeding Rs 17.3 million, after a state bank refused to sponsor school bags for preschool children.

During today's (1) hearing, Assistant Director Sulochana Hettiarachchi stated that a week is needed to record statements from several officials of the relevant state bank. She requested that the suspect be further remanded to prevent potential interference with witnesses.

Representing Dasanayake, President's Counsel Kalinga Indatissa, President's Counsel Anuja Premaratne, and Attorneys-at-Law Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, and Madhura Vithanage argued that the arrest in 2025 for a complaint made in 2016, with statements recorded in 2019, was politically motivated. 

They claimed the withdrawal of the fixed deposits was done under the instructions of the then-Governor and Chief Secretary of the Uva Provincial Council.

After considering both sides, the Chief Magistrate ordered Dasanayake to be remanded until April 8 and instructed the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption to complete the investigation within a week.

Meanwhile, officers from the Criminal Investigation Department informed the court that, as per previous court orders, they had presented the case against Dasanayake under the Public Property Act before the Badulla Magistrate's Court.

They stated that Dasanayake has been named as a suspect in the case and is ordered to appear before the Badulla Magistrate's Court on May 19.

The case will be called again on April 8.