Ex-Minister Arjuna Ranatunga, brother indicted over Rs. 800 Million fuel tender loss

2026-03-23 - 06:04

Former Minister Arjuna Ranatunga and former Ceylon Petroleum Corporation Chairman Dhammika Ranatunga were served indictments before the Colombo High Court today (March 23) over a corruption case linked to an alleged Rs. 800 million loss. The indictments were formally presented in court, after which the judge ordered that both defendants be released on two personal bails of Rs. 5 million each. The court also scheduled the case to be taken up again on May 15, 2026, for a pre-trial conference. According to reports, the charges relate to decisions made during a six-month period between 2017 and 2018. During this time, three planned long-term fuel procurement tenders by the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation were canceled. Instead, 27 spot tenders were carried out at higher prices. Authorities allege that these actions caused a financial loss of nearly Rs. 800 million to the Corporation. Both Arjuna Ranatunga and Dhammika Ranatunga have been charged with causing the loss and with aiding and abetting the alleged wrongdoing.