Former Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal and former President's Secretary Lalith Weeratunge have been released from a private complaint (plaint) filed against them.
The complaint was filed by Ven. Thiniyawala Palitha Thera, alleging financial irregularities that took place while Cabraal and Weeratunge were serving in their respective positions in 2014.
The Colombo Fort Magistrate's Court upheld the preliminary objections raised by the defense, which challenged the maintainability of the case. As a result, the Magistrate, Thilina Gamage, ordered the release of Ajith Nivard Cabraal and Lalith Weeratunge from the case, and the matter was dismissed accordingly.
The private complaint was filed under section 136(1)(a) of the Code of Criminal Procedure Act. The petitioner alleged that during Ajith Nivard Cabraal's tenure as Central Bank Governor in 2014, the Sri Lankan government paid US$ 6.5 million through the Central Bank to an American businessman named Imaad Shah Zuberi, who was described as a CIA mole. The purpose of this payment was purportedly to buy influence and improve Sri Lanka's image in the United States. The petitioner further claimed that a U.S. court found that out of the $6.5 million, $5.6 million (or 80% of it) had been spent by Zuberi on himself and his wife.
Additionally, the petitioner alleged that Ajith Nivard Cabraal made this payment without obtaining prior approval from the Sri Lankan Parliament or Cabinet of Ministers, which was seen as a violation of Article 150 of the constitution.
