CIABOC drops Rs.17.8 Mn cash complaint at President’s House

The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) informed Fort Magistrate Thilina Gamage

yesterday (18) that no further action would be taken regarding the Rs.17,850,000 found in the office of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at President’s House on July 9,2022.

The report filed by the Bribery or Corruption Commission in Court states that the complaint does not contain the elements such as document proof required for the investigation and there is not enough evidence to investigate the assets related to the complaint.

Accordingly, the Bribery Commission informed court that since there is no record of how the money was received or there is no document regarding it, it is not included under the charges of corruption as per the Bribery Act.

“The facts regarding this incident were studied. Former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has not bought any property or asset in his name recently. No transaction has taken place. There is no evidence regarding any expenditure incurred. Accordingly, there is not enough evidence to conduct an investigation,” the Commission further told the Court.

Also, the report of the investigation carried out by the Victim and Witness Protection Authority was also filed yesterday before the Fort Magistrate’s Court. The Senior Superintendent of the Special Crimes Division of the Police, who investigated the incident, was allegedly threatened by the Western Province SDIG Deshbandu Tennakoon. The report informed court that there was insufficient evidence that the officer was threatened.

Speaking to Court on behalf of the aggrieved party, President’s Counsel Maithri Gunaratne said that if this incident had happened to a small man, this investigation would not have been conducted in this manner.

He pointed out that even Court orders had not been taken into account and the facts of the report were contradictory. Gunaratne further said that Police have conducted the investigation to save higher officials.

The Magistrate said that he would report on the facts presented by both parties, and ordered that the case be called again on January 17, 2024, for further reports.

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