Supreme Court Delivers Verdict
Harsha Ilukpitiya, the former Controller General of Immigration and Emigration in Sri Lanka, was sentenced to two years of imprisonment by the Supreme Court on September 23, 2025, after being found guilty of contempt of court. The verdict was delivered by a three-judge bench comprising Justices Yasantha Kodagoda, Janak de Silva, and Arjuna Obeyesekere. Justice Kodagoda, in delivering the ruling, stated that Ilukpitiya had committed a 'serious act of contempt against the judiciary' through his actions.
Background of the Contempt Charges
The charges against Ilukpitiya arose from his failure to comply with a Supreme Court interim order issued on August 2, 2024. This order had suspended a Cabinet decision to outsource the electronic visa issuance process to two private companies and mandated the reinstatement of the previous visa procedure. Despite the court's directive, Ilukpitiya allegedly failed to implement the injunction and continued to act contrary to the court's instructions.
Controversial Visa Deal at the Core
The case is linked to a controversial visa handling agreement that replaced a local provider, which charged one dollar per visa, with a foreign consortium that increased the fee to 25 dollars. Petitioners, including Parliamentarians M.A. Sumanthiran, Patali Champika Ranawaka, and Rauff Hakeem, had initiated the contempt proceedings, arguing that the outsourcing move was unlawful, posed risks to national security, and lacked transparency. The Supreme Court had previously ordered the temporary reinstatement of the original visa provider.
Legal Proceedings and Sentencing Details
Ilukpitiya had been in remand custody since September 25, 2024, after the court found he had willfully disregarded the interim order. He initially pleaded not guilty but later withdrew his plea and admitted guilt on July 1, 2025. While the court initially imposed a three-year prison term, one year was deducted for the time Ilukpitiya had already spent in remand custody, resulting in the final two-year sentence. This marks the first instance in Sri Lanka's history where an officer of the Sri Lanka Administrative Service (SLAS) has been imprisoned for contempt of court.
5 Comments
Bermudez
Too harsh a sentence for an administrative chief. Is this really fair?
Muchacho
While upholding judicial authority is paramount, one has to wonder if this sentence fully addresses the systemic corruption behind the controversial visa deal itself.
Leonardo
The imprisonment of a high-ranking official for contempt is significant, yet it also highlights the immense pressure civil servants can face when caught between political directives and legal mandates.
Raphael
Justice served! This protects our judicial system from being undermined.
Michelangelo
This case clearly demonstrates the importance of judicial independence in Sri Lanka. However, we must also consider the potential chilling effect this could have on future administrative decision-making.