Premalal Jayasekara left Sri Lanka before Supreme Court travel ban

Former Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Deputy Minister Premalal Jayasekara, also known as ‘Choka Malli’, left Sri Lanka for Thailand in August, prior to a Supreme Court travel ban being imposed on him.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) discovered that Jayasekara had already departed the country by the time the Supreme Court issued an order last Friday preventing him and two others from leaving the island. The court had directed the Controller General of Immigration and Emigration to implement the ban, but the CID found the order was rendered moot by his earlier departure. Investigators noted that Jayasekara had booked a return air ticket to Sri Lanka before leaving.

The legal proceedings involve an appeal regarding a previous conviction related to a fatal shooting during the 2015 Presidential Election. While a Court of Appeal had previously ordered his acquittal, the Supreme Court is currently reviewing an appeal against that ruling. The CID is continuing its investigation into how the former minister was able to leave the country despite the ongoing legal scrutiny.