COLOMBO: Sri Lankan opposition parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa, the eldest son of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, was granted bail on Tuesday in a bribery case linked to a hotel project involving an Indian company, but he will continue to remain in custody in a separate case.
The Colombo Magistrate's Court granted him bail, citing the health of his parents as special circumstances.
Rajapaksa, who was arrested on September 29 in connection with the hotel project, had been accused of accepting a bribe of LKR 70 million (around USD 210,000) in 2013 to facilitate approvals for the proposed investment.
In the same case, Krish Hotels chairperson Janaki Siriwardena was also arrested for allegedly bribing Rajapaksa.
Prosecutors alleged that Rajapaksa, who was a powerful politician during his father's presidency, used his political influence to expedite approvals for the project.
According to the investigators, Siriwardena had bribed Rajapaksa on several occasions to obtain key approvals for the project. She continues to remain remanded.
Rajapaksa, who is also an international rugby player, had been questioned in 2016 and a case was filed against him over the alleged misuse of funds from the Krish project for rugby promotion.
Rajapaksa, however, has maintained that the money was sponsorship for an international rugby sevens tournament held in Colombo in 2014.
The proposed hotel project, estimated to cost more than USD 750 million, remains stalled.
Rajapaksa will continue to remain in remand in a separate case related to alleged bribery and money laundering in the acquisition of Airbus aircraft by SriLankan Airlines, the country's national carrier.
He was arrested on September 4 by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) and subsequently remanded in custody in the Airbus case.
The allegations relate to a purported bribe of LKR 100 million (around USD 300,000) in connection with the acquisition of wide-body Airbus aircraft for the national carrier.
Rajapaksa was produced before the Colombo High Court's Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar on October 28 after the case was transferred from the magistrate's court.
The court has directed that he be produced before it on November 19.
Rajapaksa is a parliamentarian of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna.
The Rajapaksa family and its political allies have previously alleged that legal proceedings against members of the family are politically motivated, while the government has defended its anti-corruption drive.