The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) has initiated an investigation into the person named Chamara Gunasekera, the person alleged to have accepted a bribe of $ 250 million to scuttle the legal proceedings seeking compensation for the MV X-Press Pearl maritime disaster, The Daily Morning learned.

Minister of Justice, President's Counsel Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe on 25 April revealed the name of the said person who is alleged to have accepted the bribe.

Accordingly, The Daily Morning contacted Dr. Rajapakshe and queried as to whether he wishes to lodge a complaint with the CID to seek an investigation into the matter, to which he replied: "I have given the name of the relevant person to the Police and the CID. I have submitted a complaint and an investigation has already been initiated."

Following Dr. Rajapakshe's recent allegation that a Sri Lankan has received a $ 250 million bribe to scuttle the relevant legal proceedings seeking compensation for the said disaster, several parties including the main Parliamentary Opposition, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya had challenged the former to reveal the name of the individual. He revealed the name of the person in the Parliament in response to such requests. "I received a piece of information. I shall reveal it today in the Parliament, but I do not accept responsibility for it. I do not know if this is evidence or not. It should be ascertained through the outcome of the investigations which are being carried out by the Police," he said. Revealing the name in question, he said: "As a name, this mentions 'Chamara Gunasekera’."