By A.J.A. Abeynayake

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s son, Yoshitha Rajapaksa, and his grandmother, Daisy Forest Wickramasinghe, were charged by the Attorney General on the 14th before the Colombo High Court.

The charges, filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, include three counts related to the purchase of properties, including plots of land in the Ratmalana Sirimal Uyana area and Dehiwala, using unexplained funds to the tune of Rs. 80 million during 2012-2013.

Yoshitha Rajapaksa was arrested by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) on 25 January in connection with the purchase of a 31.5-perch land in the Sirimal Uyana area for over Rs. 360 lakhs. He was presented before the Additional Magistrate that afternoon and remanded until 27 January, when Colombo Additional Magistrate Manjula Ratnayake ordered his release on strict bail conditions, including a travel ban.

Daisy Forest Wickramasinghe, who was named as a suspect in investigations related to the purchase of shares in the CSN channel, in which Yoshitha Rajapaksa held ownership, was also issued a travel ban by Kaduwela Magistrate Chanima Wijebandara on the 11th.