Anusha Palpita remanded until February 6, 2026

2026-01-25 - 21:09

Anusha Palpita Former Director General of the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) and former Secretary to the Ministry of Mass Media, Anusha Palpita, was remanded until February 6, 2026, after being arrested by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) for failing to explain the source of assets worth about Rs. 46 million. The remand order was issued by Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama when Palpita was produced before the Colombo Magistrate’s Court today (January 23). He was arrested earlier this morning after appearing before CIABOC, where an initial statement was recorded. Presenting him to court, an investigating officer said the probe began following a complaint received in March 2015. Investigations were carried out over several years, during which statements, affidavits, and documents were obtained from Palpita up to 2026. According to the findings, between March 31, 2012 and March 31, 2014, Palpita had accumulated assets worth nearly Rs. 46 million, which was far above his lawful income during that period. The officer told court that Palpita claimed Rs. 11 million was given to him by his wife’s sister and brother. A statement from his sister-in-law confirmed that Rs. 3 million came from the sale of a plot of land. However, investigators said Palpita failed to clearly explain the source of the remaining Rs. 8 million. CIABOC requested that Palpita be remanded, stating that further investigations require recording statements from his wife and members of her family. Appearing for the suspect, Attorney-at-Law Kanchana Ratwatte said Palpita had fully cooperated with investigators and requested bail, noting there was no attempt to influence witnesses. After considering submissions from both sides, the Magistrate rejected the bail application and ordered that Palpita be remanded until February 6, 2026.