Former Krrish director Janaki Siriwardena was remanded until 6 October by the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court on 24 September in connection with an allegation that she paid MP Namal Rajapaksa a Rs. 70 million bribe.
Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama also ordered the prison authorities to allow the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) to record a statement from Rajapaksa, who is already in remand custody, as part of the new investigation.
CIABOC told the court that Siriwardena allegedly paid Rajapaksa the money in three instalments to obtain his assistance in expediting the transfer of land at Transworks Square in Colombo Fort, which was under the Urban Development Authority, for the Krrish project. The Magistrate issued the remand order after considering submissions from CIABOC officials and lawyers representing Siriwardena.
Siriwardena was listed among the directors of Krrish Transworks Private Limited, alongside Amit Katyal, Rajendra Prasad Gupta and Aishwarya Soni. The company planned a large mixed-use development at the Colombo Fort site, comprising shopping facilities, offices, hotels and residences. Siriwardena was later publicly identified as the chief executive officer and a director of One Transworks Square Private Limited. The development is now commonly referred to as the Krrish building.
The new bribery allegation concerns a separate Rs. 70 million payment from an earlier case involving money reportedly provided by Krrish to promote rugby in Sri Lanka. Rajapaksa previously faced court proceedings over allegations that he misused those funds.
Siriwardena was also previously arrested and remanded by the Criminal Investigation Department over allegations that she aided Thilini Priyamali in a large-scale financial fraud targeting wealthy businesspeople.
