If Badulla MP Chamara Sampath Dassanayake was hoping for a smooth exit from his current legal troubles, the Colombo Magistrate’s Court had other plans. The outspoken former State Minister and his ex-private secretary were escorted right back to prison after Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama extended their remand until November 10.
The case hinges on an alleged cash-for-permits scheme during Dassanayake’s tenure as State Minister of Primary Industries between September 2022 and September 2024. Investigators from the Bribery Commission allege that Dassanayake and his aide lined their pockets with 8.4 million rupees in illegal payouts from three commercial fertilizer importers. In return, official protocols were quietly tossed out the window to fast-track phosphate import licenses directly to the paying companies.
For a politician accustomed to holding court in Parliament with loud rhetoric, sitting quietly in remand custody presents an uncomfortably stark change of scenery. The defense team’s arguments for bail fell flat as prosecutors pointed out that handing out ministerial favors for cash requires a thorough, uninterrupted accounting of state ledgers and bank accounts.
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As the Bribery Commission puts the finishing touches on its evidence file ahead of the next court date, Dassanayake is learning the hard way that while state licenses might be easy to sell in office, working your way out of a bribery remand is a completely different proposition.
