The Colombo Magistrate's Court has rejected a request by the Criminal Investigation Department to impose overseas travel restrictions on racing driver Dilantha Malagamuwa and three other individuals in an ongoing alleged land-fraud investigation.
Colombo Additional Magistrate Lahiru Silva directed the CID to first take the necessary steps to formally name the four individuals as suspects before seeking travel restrictions against them.
The ruling concerns the CID's request for travel bans and does not terminate the underlying investigation.
CID investigating alleged forged deeds and land transactions
The CID told court that it is investigating allegations involving forged deeds and the acquisition and sale of land in Colombo and other areas.
The inquiry includes allegations concerning a 43-perch property in Barnes Place, Colombo 7, reportedly valued at more than Rs.2.5 billion and sold for Rs.1 billion.
Investigators have also made allegations about how proceeds from the transaction were distributed.
Those claims are CID allegations presented during an ongoing investigation and have not been established as findings against Malagamuwa or the other individuals.
Court did not clear those under investigation
The court's rejection of the travel-ban application should not be described as an acquittal, exoneration or termination of the investigation.
The magistrate's position was that the procedural basis required for the requested travel restrictions had not yet been established because investigators had not formally named the relevant individuals as suspects.
Further investigations remain underway.