SRIPATHI SOORIYAARACHCHI ARRESTED BY CID AND REMANDED BY A COLOMBO MAGISTRATE

By Walter Jayawardhana

Former Minister and parliamentarian, Sripathi Sooriyarachchi who was stripped off his portfolio recently has been arrested by the Criminal Investigations Division of the Police on a charge of misappropriation of state property and remanded.

He was arrested by the police and produced before Colombo Fort additional magistrate and remanded till March 20.

The government’s Defense website said he was summoned by the CID, March 17 and questioned regarding using a vehicle belonging to a government department.
The website said he has committed an offense under Public Property Act No 2 1982 as amended in 1999 by Act No 28.

But Sripathi Sooriyaarachi said in a statement that he has been arrested due to a conspiracy due to political reasons arising from his differences with the government.
Sooriyarachchi, a lawyer was a naval officer before entering into a legal career. He was at the forefront of the Presidential campaign to elect Mahinda Rajapaksa before differences arose recently between them.