Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Sujeewa Senasinghe, who was granted bail on July 16, claimed that the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) spent a significant amount of public funds investigating his case despite the government’s commitment to cost-cutting.
Senasinghe appeared before the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court regarding a case involving an allegedly illegally assembled luxury vehicle valued at around Rs. 100 million.
Magistrate Nilupuli Lankapura had earlier instructed the CID to present Senasinghe in court along with medical documents confirming his overseas treatment.
Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa and senior SJB members including Ranjith Madduma Bandara, Kabir Hashim, Mano Ganesan, and Mujibur Rahuman attended the court to show their support.
After the hearing, Senasinghe criticized the government’s hypocrisy, highlighting that while it promised fiscal discipline, the CID likely spent a fortune on his investigation.
He pointed out that the economy has deteriorated significantly, with growth dropping from 5% to nearly zero, and no government promises fulfilled.
Senasinghe accused the current administration of increasing authoritarianism and adopting neoliberal policies, with powerful figures like Dhammika Perera influencing policy decisions without transparency.
He claimed key state institutions are being used for personal agendas, turning Sri Lanka into a police state where dissent is suppressed and independent voices silenced.
Senasinghe warned that even moderate critics are being targeted and compared this to a hypothetical scenario where opposition leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake could have faced long jail terms under such tactics.
He contrasted the current government’s mismanagement with previous administrations, stating that despite their flaws, past leaders never allowed the state to decay to this extent.
Senasinghe affirmed his clean political record, saying he has no traffic violations, pending legal actions, or credible allegations against him, and emphasized his career began and continues with integrity.
He concluded by warning that the government’s time is running out and vowed that the opposition will raise awareness, form a new government, and rebuild the country.
