Keheliya’s Housemaid Freed: Court Imposes Travel Ban

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Colombo Chief Magistrate, Tanuja Lakmali Jayasinghe, today ordered the release on bail of Nipunie Krishnajina, the domestic aide of former Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, who was in remand custody over two corruption-related cases filed by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC).

The court was informed that further investigations are ongoing into a bank account held by the suspect, which she claimed was opened for a soil business. 

However, investigators revealed that no such business activity had been detected through the account’s transactions.

The defense argued that the funds in question belonged to the third suspect in the case, Nishantha Basnayake, and were not public funds. 

After reviewing the submissions, the Magistrate granted bail under four personal sureties of Rs. 1 million each and imposed a travel ban on the suspect.

The case is scheduled to be taken up again on October 10.

Krishnajina was arrested last Wednesday in connection with a broader investigation into alleged misuse of public funds during Keheliya Rambukwella’s tenure as Minister of Mass Media, Health, and Environment between 2021 and 2023. 

It is alleged that over Rs. 8 million in state funds were misappropriated by appointing close associates to his personal staff and using their salaries and overtime payments for personal and political expenses.