Basil’s sureties fined for court absences

The Matara Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday (18) imposed fines on the three individuals who had signed as sureties for former Minister Basil Rajapaksa’s bail, ordering that they be imprisoned if the fines are not paid, after Rajapaksa repeatedly failed to appear in court in a case involving the alleged purchase of a 1.5-acre property in Matara with illicitly obtained funds.

The court also ordered the forfeiture of the bail money deposited on behalf of Rajapaksa, the third accused in the case filed by the Police Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID).

The case relates to a property on Brownhill, Eliyakanda Road, Matara, and was taken up before Matara Chief Magistrate Chathura Dissanayake.

The court was informed that Rajapaksa had continued to remain absent without producing a medical report acceptable to the court.

The arrest warrant issued against Rajapaksa was extended until October 27, 2026.

The first and second accused appeared before court yesterday. FCID officers appeared for the prosecution, while a team of lawyers led by President’s Counsel Anil de Silva represented the defence.