The Matara Magistrate’s Court has issued an open warrant for the arrest of former Minister Basil Rajapaksa in connection with an ongoing investigation into the acquisition of a property located at Brown’s Hill in Matara. The judicial order followed a report presented to the court by the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID).
The inquiry centers on an approximately one-and-a-half-acre coconut cultivation land along Eliyakanda Road in Brown’s Hill, Matara, which is allegedly linked to the former minister. The property previously belonged to a German national, Herbert Keller, and was allegedly purchased by Rajapaksa for a sum of Rs. 60 million.
Key Developments
- The Matara Magistrate’s Court granted an open arrest warrant against former Minister Basil Rajapaksa following submissions by the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID).
- The investigation focuses on a 1.5-acre coconut cultivation estate situated on Eliyakanda Road, Brown’s Hill, Matara, allegedly acquired for Rs. 60 million from German national Herbert Keller.
- On October 6, the FCID notified the court of impending measures to suspend the use of the disputed land during the inquiry.
- Matara Chief Magistrate Chathura Dissanayake had previously ordered the forfeiture of Rajapaksa’s bail money and the recovery of bail sums from his sureties after he failed to appear in court on multiple occasions.
The issuance of the open warrant follows these preceding court actions regarding the contested real estate acquisition, as authorities continue to pursue the legal proceedings surrounding the transaction.