Duminda Dissanayake
Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP)
1
Legal matters
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Investigations
1
Charges pending
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Acquitted / dismissed
Duminda Dissanayake has been indicted. A gold-plated T-56 assault rifle was discovered concealed in a bag carried by a woman at the Havelock City apartment complex, Colombo, on 20 May 2025, after a security guard alerted police. The woman told investigators the weapon had been sent to her some months earlier for safekeeping by Duminda Dissanayake. A second woman and a household employee of Dissanayake's were also arrested. Dissanayake was arrested by the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) on 23 May 2025. He was later discharged by a magistrate for lack of evidence, but the case was reopened by the Attorney General's Department in mid-2026 after fresh statements, and he was re-named a suspect. He and one of the women were indicted before the Colombo High Court on 10 Sep 2026 and released on bail the same day. This is a prosecution under active proceedings and has not resulted in a conviction. Case reopened in Jun 2026 after the Attorney General's Department instructed police to re-name Dissanayake as a suspect, based on fresh statements from a co-suspect, over alleged aiding and abetting in concealing the weapon. He was indicted before the Colombo High Court on 10 Sep 2026 together with one of the women; each was granted bail the same day on Rs. 50,000 cash bail with two sureties of Rs. 2 million each. The case has been fixed for a pre-trial conference on 2 Oct 2026. Next scheduled hearing: 2 October 2026.
Duminda Dissanayake legal timeline
- 10 September 2026
Indicted
Indicted together with one of the women before the Colombo High Court over the gold-plated T-56 firearm case; each was released on bail the same day on Rs. 50,000 cash bail with two sureties of Rs. 2 million each. The case was fixed for a pre-trial conference on 2 Oct 2026.
Court: Colombo High Court
- 19 June 2026
Bail Granted
The Attorney General's Department instructed police to re-name Dissanayake as a suspect, based on fresh statements from a co-suspect, over alleged aiding and abetting in concealing the weapon. He was produced before the Mount Lavinia Magistrate's Court and released on personal bail (two sureties of Rs.5 million each).
Court: Mount Lavinia Magistrate's Court
Sources (2)
- 29 July 2025
Discharged
Discharged by the Mount Lavinia Magistrate's Court, which found no direct or investigative evidence to proceed against him at that time.
Court: Mount Lavinia Magistrate's Court
Sources (2)
- 14 July 2025
Bail Granted
Granted bail by the Colombo High Court on Rs.250,000 cash bail and two sureties of Rs.5 million each, with a travel ban and passport surrendered, over the Attorney General's objection.
Court: Colombo High Court
Sources (2)
- 29 May 2025
Remanded
Remanded by the Mount Lavinia Magistrate's Court, with remand further extended at subsequent hearings through 19 Jun 2025.
Court: Mount Lavinia Magistrate's Court
Sources (2)
- 23 May 2025
Arrested
Duminda Dissanayake was arrested by the Terrorism Investigation Division at a Thimbirigasyaya apartment, days after a gold-plated T-56 assault rifle allegedly sent to a woman for safekeeping was discovered at the Havelock City apartment complex, Colombo.
Court: Colombo High Court
Sources (1)
Duminda Dissanayake court cases
Gold-plated T-56 firearm case
A gold-plated T-56 assault rifle was discovered concealed in a bag carried by a woman at the Havelock City apartment complex, Colombo, on 20 May 2025, after a security guard alerted police. The woman told investigators the weapon had been sent to her some months earlier for safekeeping by Duminda Dissanayake. A second woman and a household employee of Dissanayake's were also arrested. Dissanayake was arrested by the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) on 23 May 2025. He was later discharged by a magistrate for lack of evidence, but the case was reopened by the Attorney General's Department in mid-2026 after fresh statements, and he was re-named a suspect. He and one of the women were indicted before the Colombo High Court on 10 Sep 2026 and released on bail the same day. This is a prosecution under active proceedings and has not resulted in a conviction.
What’s happened
Case reopened in Jun 2026 after the Attorney General's Department instructed police to re-name Dissanayake as a suspect, based on fresh statements from a co-suspect, over alleged aiding and abetting in concealing the weapon. He was indicted before the Colombo High Court on 10 Sep 2026 together with one of the women; each was granted bail the same day on Rs. 50,000 cash bail with two sureties of Rs. 2 million each. The case has been fixed for a pre-trial conference on 2 Oct 2026.
- Court
- Colombo High Court
- Next hearing / due
- 2 October 2026
Duminda Dissanayake political career
Ministerial positions
Deputy Minister of Youth Affairs and Skills Development
2010–2013
Minister of Education Services
2013–2014
Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Management
2015–2015
Minister of Agriculture
2015–2018
State Minister of Solar, Wind and Hydro Power Generation Projects Development
2020–2022
Other political positions
Member of Parliament for Anuradhapura District
2000–2024
General Secretary, Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP)
2015–2018
Duminda Dissanayake party history
Entered Parliament in the 2000 general election as an SLFP candidate under the People's Alliance, and remained SLFP through the United People's Freedom Alliance era. On 22 Nov 2014, after leaving the Rajapaksa government to back Maithripala Sirisena's presidential challenge, the SLFP announced his membership and party positions were suspended.
Sources (3)
Reinstated to the SLFP alongside Maithripala Sirisena on 8 Jan 2015. Served as SLFP General Secretary from 14 Aug 2015 until being replaced (Election Commission recorded 11 Jul 2018), then continued as National Organiser. Removed from the National Organiser post on 30 Mar 2024 (reported as removal from post, not expulsion from the party) amid an SLFP leadership dispute; the Nimal Siripala de Silva-aligned SLFP faction named him Acting General Secretary on 25 Apr 2024 and elected him General Secretary on 19 Jun 2024. Reporting continued to identify him as SLFP General Secretary through 2025 and in a report dated 2 Sep 2026.