Keheliya granted bail over Sandagala antiquities theft

Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama today (18) ordered the release of former minister Keheliya Rambukwella, who was arrested by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption over a corruption charge, on two personal bails of 1 million rupees each.

In addition, the court also issued an order imposing a foreign travel ban on the suspect.

The court issued this bail order taking into consideration the facts presented by the Bribery Commission.

Investigating officers informed the court that the suspect was arrested in connection with an ongoing investigation into the theft of the Sandagala artifact, an important antiquity in the country.

Presenting facts before the court against former minister Keheliya Rambukwella, who has been named as the second suspect in this case, the Bribery Commission stated that he committed the offence of corruption, aiding and abetting, and conspiracy by exerting influence to prevent the proper conduct of the investigation into the theft of the historically valuable artifact named Sandagala, which includes the entrance staircase of the palace of King Sri Weera Parakrama Narendrasinghe, the last king of the Sinhala dynasty of the Kandy Kingdom, located at the Kundasale Udamaluwa archaeological site.