MP Wimal Weerawansa has filed a lawsuit in the Colombo District Court against two officers from the Department of Immigration and Emigration, seeking Rs. 1,000 million in compensation for alleged defamation.
The former minister asserts that he was wrongfully arrested under the Immigration and Emigration Act during the previous ‘Yahapalana’ (good governance) government, with a case brought against him in the Negombo Magistrate’s Court, which he claims tarnished his reputation.
The lawsuit, filed today (12 August), names Eranga Rambukwella, an authorized officer of the Department of Immigration and Emigration, senior authorized officer Sujeewa Rathnayake, and the Attorney General as respondents.
In 2015, Weerawansa was accused of attempting to travel abroad using an expired passport while preparing to attend a series of lectures in Europe at the invitation of Sri Lankan expatriates in Dubai and Italy.
However, Weerawansa explains that upon arriving at the airport, he discovered that the passport in his possession was the one he had previously lost and later recovered after obtaining a new one.
He claims that officers from the Criminal Investigation Department arrested him without just cause, and he was subsequently released on bail after appearing before the Negombo Magistrate’s Court.
Weerawansa further highlights that after nearly nine years of legal proceedings, the court acquitted him of all charges related to the case under the Immigration and Emigration Act.
As a result, he is demanding Rs. 1,000 million in compensation from the respondents, alleging that his arrest and prosecution were malicious and conducted without a fair investigation, causing significant harm to his reputation.