The President’s former Chief of Staff I.H.K.Mahanama and former State Timber Corporation (STC) Chairman P. Dissanayake who were in remand custody on bribery charges, were further remanded until August 07 by Colombo Chief Magistrate Ranga Dissanayake on Tuesday.
While rejecting the bail application submitted by the defendant’s counsel, the Magistrate observed that there was no special circumstance where bail could be grant to the two suspects.
The investigations initiated with the complaint that I. H. K. Mahanama had demanded a bribe of Rs. 540 million from an Indian Investor who was ready to acquire a section of the Kantale Sugar Factory. Mahanama had been attending to this matter of settling the transaction some time ago, while he was the Land Ministry Secretary. However, the Indian investor had refused to pay the sum stating that it was too high and demanded it be reduced.
Within several weeks, they had allegedly agreed to accept Rs 100 million. The two were arrested at a car park of a luxury hotel in Colombo, on May 3, by the officers of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption while accepting a bribe of Rs. 20 million.
The Attorney-at-Law appearing on behalf of the suspects pleaded that leave be grant to his clients, considering it as a special matter since the trial of the case had been long delayed.
The Magistrate observed that the time taken for this case was not a special circumstance to grant bail and refused the plea.
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