Nishantha Bandara Basnayake, who served as the Coordinating Secretary to former Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, was remanded in custody until the 3rd of next month by Colombo Chief Magistrate Anuja Lakmali. The Commission for the Prevention of Bribery and Corruption (CPBC) has produced him before the court on charges of committing an offence by allowing someone else to use a bank account in his name.
Nishantha Bandara Basnayake appeared before the Commission for the Prevention of Bribery and Corruption (CPBC) yesterday to give a statement and after recording the statement, the officers of the Commission for the Prevention of Bribery and Corruption (CPBC) arrested him.
In the statement, he stated that although an account had been opened in his name, the passbook, bank card and all the items in that account were with Amali Rambukwella, the daughter of former Minister Keheliya Rambukwella. He further stated that all the money received in his account was received by Amali Rambukwella, the daughter of former Minister Keheliya Rambukwella.
The Bribery Commission made this announcement while presenting Nishantha Bandara Basnayake to court on suspicion of causing a loss of over Rs. 8 million to the government by hiring 15 people as his personal staff during the 2021/2023 term when Keheliya Rambukwella was the Minister of Mass Media, Health and Environment and using the salaries and overtime allowances paid to them for his personal expenses and political activities.
The lawyer appearing for the suspect stated that although his employer was arrested by the Bribery Commission in connection with this incident and presented to court as a suspect, he should be a witness in this case.