By Ruwan Weerakoon, Investigative Journalist & Defence Correspondent
(Lanka-e-News -11 Nov 2026, 5.30 P.M.) The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) today (10th) arrested Nishantha Ranatunga, former Chairman of the National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB). The arrest puts one of Sri Lanka's best-known families back in the legal spotlight.
Investigators say that in 2020 Ranatunga already had two official vehicles provided by the government. Despite this, he allegedly acquired a third, a luxury Toyota Prado jeep, on a rental basis.
The Bribery Commission alleges he paid for the vehicle with contract funds allocated for the "Kandy North - Pathadumbara Integrated Water Supply Project." Investigations have revealed that more than Rs. 12.75 million of project money was paid solely to rent the jeep. The commission says this caused a major financial loss to both the government and the Water Board.
The commission also describes the matter as a planned act rather than an isolated lapse. A former Additional General Manager, a retired General Manager of the Water Board and a businessman were previously arrested and produced in court on charges of conspiring in the same alleged irregularity.
Ranatunga was reportedly released on bail by the Colombo Chief Magistrate's Court, with an overseas travel ban.
The arrest comes as several members of the Ranatunga family face inquiries, charges or convictions linked to corruption and abuse of power. Arjuna and Dhammika Ranatunga: The 1996 World Cup-winning captain and former minister, together with his brother and former Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) Chairman Dhammika Ranatunga, have been indicted in the Colombo High Court. The charges relate to an alleged Rs. 800 million loss to the CPC, linked to cancelled long-term fuel procurement tenders and subsequent spot purchases.
Prasanna Ranatunga: The former Cabinet Minister was convicted in June 2022 of extorting a businessman over a land dispute, a milestone ruling in domestic graft enforcement.
The comparison is being made in public, and it holds only in part. The parallel is reach. Like other powerful families in Sri Lanka's modern history, the Ranatungas spread across ministries, state enterprises and sports administration, including cricket and water utilities. When political tides shift, or anti-corruption bodies open independent probes, several siblings serving in different administrations can end up entangled in legal action at the same time or one after another.
The distinction is scale. The Rajapaksas built a multi-generational apparatus spanning the executive presidency, the premiership and numerous national and regional portfolios over decades. The Ranatungas' footprint is narrower, confined largely to specific ministerial portfolios, state-owned enterprises such as the CPC and the Water Board, and sports administration.
The public comparison draws its force from the shock of seeing several brothers from a celebrated national family facing corruption allegations. Structurally, their political footprint differs vastly from that of traditional ruling families. Even so, mounting legal action against the Ranatunga brothers shows growing scrutiny of administrative accountability across Sri Lanka's public sector.
Nishantha Ranatunga's arrest is regarded as another step in the wider anti-corruption drive against those accused of misusing public resources.
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by (2026-11-11 11:57:41)
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