The Bribery Commission today arrested Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Satish Ranjan Hiyare Gamage, Acting Director of the Cultural Division (Administration) at the Police Field Force Headquarters. The arrest is linked to allegations that he laundered over 1.5 million rupees in bribes received from individuals, including organized criminals.
SSP Gamage was produced before the court yesterday (14), following charges filed by the Bribery Commission. The charges relate to an incident during his tenure overseeing the Galle and Embilipitiya Police Divisions, where he allegedly opened three bank accounts under another person’s name and received substantial deposits from individuals seeking police services—including known criminal figures.
Attorney-at-Law Thusitha Jayanethni, Assistant Legal Director of the Bribery or Corruption Investigation Commission, appeared in court on behalf of the complainant. The Commission informed the court that evidence indicates the suspect received funds from various sources, including illegal massage parlors, and deposited them into the three accounts.
Presenting further details, Jayanethni stated:
“Your Honor, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested a known drug trafficker, Dulaj Tharanga, and recorded his statements. His WhatsApp account contained three messages, one of which included bank details linked to a person named Anura Nanayakkara. Upon questioning, Nanayakkara confirmed that the accounts were not his, but belonged to the suspect now in custody. This revelation led to the suspect’s arrest at his workplace. The accounts—held in three private banks—were used repeatedly to obtaon bribes from individuals seeking police services, organized criminals, and operators of illegal massage parlors. Over Rs. 1.4 million was deposited into these accounts within just eight months.”
She further revealed that the suspect’s wife, when questioned by the Commission, corroborated the allegations. Additionally, the suspect’s security officer had deposited funds into the accounts on over 100 occasions, while his driver had made deposits totaling Rs. 1.4 million across 50 transactions. A drug trafficker based overseas and another named Amila Paranavithana were also found to have deposited money into the suspect’s accounts.
“Your Honor, Anura Nanayakkara submitted an affidavit to the Commission on August 5, 2025, stating that he was influenced by the suspect and was initially reluctant to disclose the truth. This influence is now documented. What has occurred here is a clear case of corruption. Under the Bail Act and Section 122 of the Anti-Corruption Act, I respectfully request that the suspect be remanded. As per the certificate issued by the Director General of the Commission, he may be held until the conclusion of the case.”
In response, the suspect’s lawyer argued:
“Your Honor, although Mr. Nanayakkara submitted an affidavit on August 5, 2025, the investigation began in 2024. The Supreme Court has ruled that suspects should be granted bail when eligible. Affidavits can be obtained at any time and should not be the sole basis for remanding a suspect. Therefore, I request that my client be released on suitable bail conditions.”
After reviewing the submissions, the magistrate ruled that the bail application would be rejected, citing the ongoing nature of the investigation and the risk of witness tampering. The suspect was ordered to be remanded until August 19.
(With the inputs from the Sinhala language site whatnews.lk)