The Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court today (May 16) rejected a request by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) to cancel the bail granted to Badulla District MP Chamara Sampath Dassanayake and remand him again over alleged financial misconduct during his tenure as a member of the Uva Provincial Council in 2016.
Chief Magistrate Thanuja Lakmali delivered the decision after considering arguments presented by both parties.
In a motion filed before the court, the CIABOC alleged that the MP had interfered with ongoing investigations through his wife by prompting former President Ranil Wickremesinghe to hold a press conference.
During this briefing, Wickremesinghe reportedly made inaccurate statements related to the case, portraying the MP’s actions as permissible. However, President’s Counsel Kalinga Indatissa, representing Dassanayake, denied any interference or misconduct, arguing there was no evidence of witness tampering. The Commission also acknowledged that the former President is not listed as a witness in the case.
MP Dassanayake was initially granted bail on April 08 over the same incident.
