Money recovered inside President’s house Bribery Commission decides not to take further legal action

• Informs court that legal proceedings will not be taken owing to insufficient evidence

By Lakmal Sooriyagoda   

The Bribery Commission has informed the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court that it will not take further legal action on the sum of Rs. 17.85 million recovered from the President’s House on July 9, 2022.  

 The Bribery Commission had earlier informed the court that it had commenced an investigation into the incident pursuant to a complaint lodged by the Puravesi Balaya Organisation.   
However, the Bribery Commission on Wednesday (18) informed the court that further legal proceedings regarding this incident will not be taken owing to insufficient evidence to proceed with the matter.   

On a previous occasion, former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa through his lawyer claimed his rights to the amount of Rs. 17.85 million recovered from the President’s House.   
However, the defence counsel raised objections to releasing the said amount to the former President and said prosecution has to ascertain whether there are offences committed under the Money Laundering Act and Bribery Act.   

The CID had told the court that they had recorded a statement from former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on February 06 regarding the ongoing investigations into the sum of Rs. 17.8 million recovered by protesters inside the President’s House.   

According to the former President’s statement, he has stated that the money found inside the President’s Office belonged to him, but he was unable to take care of them due to the prevailing security situation at that time. He has told police the sum of money that belonged to him was to be distributed among the people whose houses were destroyed by the protesters.