The daughter of a specialist neurosurgeon attached to the Sri Jayewardenepura Hospital, who is accused of verbally abusing and threatening officers of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) and obstructing them in the discharge of their duties, pleaded not guilty before Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama.
The accused, Hemali Wijerathne, daughter of Dr. Maheshi Wijerathne, denied the charges. Dr. Wijerathne is an alleged suspect in a corruption case relating to the sale of neurosurgical equipment to in-ward patients at inflated prices, allegedly without adhering to government procurement procedures.
Following the plea, the Chief Magistrate fixed the case for trial and issued summons on prosecution witnesses to appear in court on May 05.
The complaint, filed by CIABOC, alleges that on or around July 07, 2025, the accused threatened CIABOC officers in front of the Colombo Magistrate’s Court while her mother was in remand custody.
Appearing for the accused, President’s Counsel Upul Kumarapperuma informed court that his client was prepared to face trial and sought permission for her to travel overseas for educational purposes. Counsel stated that the accused needed to travel to the United Kingdom to pursue higher studies and assured the court that she would appear on all future dates.
After considering the submissions, the Chief Magistrate granted permission for the accused to travel abroad for education. The court further ordered that the summons already issued on prosecution witnesses remain in force and directed that the trial will commence on May 05.
