Sri Lankan authorities have remanded two prominent political figures, days after the arrest of former president Ranil Wickremesinghe on corruption charges. Rajitha Senaratne, a veteran politician and former fisheries minister, and Athuraliye Rathana, a former parliamentarian and Buddhist monk, both surrendered in court after evading arrest in their respective cases.
A suburban Nugegoda magistrate’s court ordered Senaratne to remain in custody until September 9, while Rathana was remanded until September 12. Police said Senaratne faces charges of corruption stemming from a 2013 contract he awarded to a Korean company for sand dredging, which allegedly caused significant financial losses to the state. Rathana, meanwhile, is under investigation for his alleged involvement in the 2020 abduction of another Buddhist monk, a case that has drawn widespread attention.
The arrests mark the latest in a wave of legal actions against high-profile figures in Sri Lanka, signaling a broader crackdown on corruption and misconduct.
