The Matara Magistrate’s Court yesterday (18) ordered the forfeiture of bail money deposited by former Minister Basil Rajapaksa after he repeatedly failed to appear before court in a case concerning allegations that he purchased a 1.5-acre property in the Matara area using illegally acquired funds.
The case, filed by the Police Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID), relates to a property located in Brownhill on Eliyakanda Road, Matara. The case was taken up before Matara Chief Magistrate Chathura Dissanayake.
The court was informed that Basil Rajapaksa, the third accused in the case, had repeatedly failed to appear before court without submitting even a medical report acceptable to the court.
The Magistrate also imposed fines on three individuals who had signed as sureties for Basil Rajapaksa. The court ordered that they be imprisoned if they failed to pay the fines.
The arrest warrant issued against Basil 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.
