The Colombo Fort Magistrate Court yesterday (10) ordered that MP Rishad Bathiudeen be re-remanded until 13 November.
He is accused of misusing 222 buses belonging to the state-owned Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) for transporting internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Puttalam to polling stations in Silavathurai, Mannar during the 2019 Presidential Election, along with Project Director Mohamed Yaseen Samsudeen and Project Accountant Alagarathnam Manoranjan.
[caption id="attachment_26101" align="alignleft" width="300"]
MP Rishad Bathiudeen[/caption]
They have allegedly violated Article 82 (1) of the Presidential Elections Act (No. 15 of 1981) by misappropriating public funds to the tune of Rs. 9.5 million.
Last month, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), upon the direction of the Attorney General, had sought the Colombo Fort Magistrate Court to issue a warrant to arrest MP Bathiudeen and the other two suspects on charges of criminal misappropriation of public funds and violation of election laws.
However, the Magistrate ruled that the Police can proceed to arrest the suspects without a warrant. Thereby, Attorney General Dappula de Livera directed the Police to arrest the three suspects according to the law.
On 14 October, the Colombo Fort Magistrate Court issued a travel ban on the parliamentarian upon a request by the CID.
MP Bathiudeen was subsequently arrested at a housing complex located at Ebenezer Place in Dehiwala during the early hours of 19 October.
He was then produced before the court and remanded on two occasions. Meanwhile, his bail application was rejected by the Colombo Fort Magistrate Court last week.
MP Rishad Bathiudeen[/caption]
They have allegedly violated Article 82 (1) of the Presidential Elections Act (No. 15 of 1981) by misappropriating public funds to the tune of Rs. 9.5 million.
Last month, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), upon the direction of the Attorney General, had sought the Colombo Fort Magistrate Court to issue a warrant to arrest MP Bathiudeen and the other two suspects on charges of criminal misappropriation of public funds and violation of election laws.
However, the Magistrate ruled that the Police can proceed to arrest the suspects without a warrant. Thereby, Attorney General Dappula de Livera directed the Police to arrest the three suspects according to the law.
On 14 October, the Colombo Fort Magistrate Court issued a travel ban on the parliamentarian upon a request by the CID.
MP Bathiudeen was subsequently arrested at a housing complex located at Ebenezer Place in Dehiwala during the early hours of 19 October.
He was then produced before the court and remanded on two occasions. Meanwhile, his bail application was rejected by the Colombo Fort Magistrate Court last week.