President’s Counsel and former Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapaksa said that the corruption case filed against former Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal and four others by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) is effectively over, with no legal route to reopen it.
Rajapaksa, who drafted the 2023 Anti-Corruption Act as Justice Minister, said the case was withdrawn in a manner that stripped CIABOC of the right to revive proceedings.
He noted that the court order does not allow the case to be refiled.
Rajapaksa said that the accused cannot be described as “convicted” or “cleared through settlement.”
He explained that they were acquitted solely because the prosecution withdrew the case before trial, leaving the court no option but to acquit.
The withdrawal was not under Section 67 of the Anti-Corruption Act, which allows limited case withdrawals if specific conditions are met, including public apology, compensation for losses, admission of wrongdoing, and acceptance of a permanent ban from public office.
Court records show that Cabraal and the other accused agreed to none of these conditions.
Rajapaksa also dismissed claims by CIABOC that the case could be refiled if the alleged loss was not repaid, noting that without a Section 67 agreement, there is no legal basis to reopen the case.
He added that the charge related to corruption involving state losses, not personal bribery.
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