Wimal Weerawansa
Leader, National Freedom Front · National Freedom Front (NFF)
4
Legal matters
1
Investigations
2
Charges pending
0
Acquitted / dismissed
Next in court
Not publicly confirmed
Wimal Weerawansa is the subject of pending court proceedings. No conviction has been recorded.
Court of Appeal contempt-related referral arising from statements allegedly made concerning the judicial process during a July 2026 satyagraha.
The full running account, event by event, is in the Timeline and Court Cases tabs below.
Wimal Weerawansa legal timeline
Next Step Pending
No court date reported - investigation material referred to the court registrar on 9 Oct 2026
Court: Colombo Chief Magistrate's Court (order); CCIB investigation reporting to Colombo Magistrate's Court No. 2
- 23 October 20262026 satyagraha contempt referral
Hearing
Afternoon date fixed for lawyers for the named parties to make submissions to the three-judge Court of Appeal bench.
Court: Court of Appeal
Sources (1)
- 19 October 20262016 UN office protest case
Hearing
Further hearing fixed for 19 October 2026 before the Colombo Chief Magistrate's Court. OnLanka reports the date was fixed because prosecution witnesses did not appear on 21 September.
Court: Colombo Chief Magistrate's Court
Sources (1)
- 15 October 20262026 satyagraha contempt referral
Hearing
Morning mention before the three-judge Court of Appeal bench to review progress on providing the documents and information requested by the named parties' lawyers.
Court: Court of Appeal
Sources (1)
- 7 October 20262026 satyagraha contempt referral
Hearing
The three-judge Court of Appeal bench (Justices Rohantha Abeysuriya (Court of Appeal President), Chamath Morais and Adithya Patabendige) took up the contempt complaint referred by the Colombo Fort Magistrate and directed the Court Registrar to take the necessary steps to provide the documents and information requested by lawyers for the named parties. No finding of contempt has been made.
Court: Court of Appeal
Sources (2)
- 22 September 2026Rs. 75 million unexplained assets case
Hearing
Reporting had scheduled the matter for 22 September 2026, but the current dataset does not establish the outcome of that date.
Court: Colombo High Court
- 21 September 20262016 UN office protest case
Hearing
Weerawansa was absent when the case was called and the Chief Magistrate issued a warrant for his arrest and production; he arrived shortly afterward, and the court directed his counsel to file a formal motion to recall the warrant on 22 September 2026. He was not arrested or remanded. Prosecution witnesses were also absent, so further evidence was fixed for 19 October 2026.
Court: Colombo Chief Magistrate's Court
Sources (3)
- 14 September 20262026 satyagraha contempt referral
Hearing
The Court of Appeal appointed a three-judge bench - Justices Rohantha Abeysuriya (Court of Appeal President), Chamath Morais, and Adithya Patabendige - to hear the contempt complaint. No contempt finding has been made by the Court of Appeal.
Court: Court of Appeal
Sources (1)
- 8 September 20262026 satyagraha contempt referral
Hearing
Court of Appeal (Justice Rohantha Abeysooriya and Justice Priyantha Fernando) took up the contempt complaint on 8 Sep 2026 and ordered its Registrar to take the necessary further procedural steps. No finding of contempt has been made.
Court: Court of Appeal
Sources (1)
- 5 August 20262026 satyagraha contempt referral
Hearing
The Colombo Fort Magistrate formed the view that Wimal Weerawansa, Udaya Gammanpila and four others may have committed contempt of court over statements linked to a July 2026 satyagraha protest against the arrest of former State Intelligence Service Director Suresh Sallay, and referred the matter to the Court of Appeal under the Contempt of a Court, Tribunal or Institution Act No. 8 of 2024.
Read more (1 more paragraph)Show less
No sentence or penalty was imposed at this stage; the referral is what places the matter before the Court of Appeal.
Court: Colombo Fort Magistrate's Court
Sources (2)
- 25 June 2026Rs. 75 million unexplained assets case
Hearing
A further hearing was fixed for 25 June 2026 when the case was taken up on 8 June. No report of what happened on 25 June was found.
Court: Colombo High Court
- 8 June 2026Rs. 75 million unexplained assets case
Hearing
The Colombo High Court (Judge Mohamed Mihail) heard the Bribery Commission's case against Wimal Weerawansa, in which he is alleged to have acquired assets worth over Rs. 75 million beyond his declared income between 2010 and 2014. Prosecution witnesses gave evidence, and further hearing was fixed for 25 June 2026.
Court: Colombo High Court
Wimal Weerawansa court cases
4
Cases Total
1
Under Investigation
2
Trial Ongoing
Rs. 75 million unexplained assets case
Unexplained-assets prosecution alleging acquisition of assets/income exceeding lawful earnings by more than approximately Rs. 75 million during 2010 to 2014.
What’s happened
Hearing resumed 8 Jun 2026; another hearing was reported for 25 Jun 2026. A warrant issued in Jan 2026 for non-appearance was recalled after he appeared. The case was fixed for 22 Sep 2026 with witnesses summoned (Newswire, Ada Derana, Sri Lanka Mirror, 3 Sep 2026); no report of what happened on that date or of a new date was located as of 7 Oct 2026.
- Court
- Colombo High Court
- Next hearing / due
- Next hearing not confirmed
2016 UN office protest case
Criminal case arising from the 2016 protest against then UN Human Rights chief Prince Zeid, including alleged obstruction of roads.
What’s happened
On 21 September 2026, the Colombo Chief Magistrate issued a warrant for Weerawansa's arrest and production after he was absent when the case was called. He arrived shortly afterward; his counsel attributed the delay to a vehicle breakdown and asked that the warrant be recalled. The court directed counsel to file a formal recall motion on 22 September 2026, meaning the warrant technically remained in force as of the reviewed reporting.
Weerawansa was not reported arrested or remanded. Prosecution witnesses were also absent, so further evidence was fixed for 19 October 2026 and notices were issued to the witnesses.
- Court
- Colombo Chief Magistrate's Court
- Next hearing / due
- Next hearing not confirmed
2026 satyagraha contempt referral
Court of Appeal contempt-related referral arising from statements allegedly made concerning the judicial process during a July 2026 satyagraha.
What’s happened
Court of Appeal (Justice Rohantha Abeysooriya and Justice Priyantha Fernando) took up the contempt complaint (reported 14 Sep 2026) and ordered its Registrar to take the necessary further procedural steps. No finding of contempt has been made. A three-judge Court of Appeal bench (Justices Rohantha Abeysuriya, Chamath Morais, and Adithya Patabendige) was appointed on 14 Sep 2026 to hear the complaint.
Dilith Jayaweera's related writ petition, which challenges the same underlying Fort Magistrate referral, was listed for support on 18 Sep 2026 and the Court of Appeal reserved its order for 30 September 2026 (dilith-jayaweera-contempt-referral) - that writ petition was dismissed in limine on 30 Sep 2026 and the joint referral itself remained pending before the Court of Appeal.
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On 7 Oct 2026 the three-judge bench took up the complaint again, directed the Registrar to provide the documents and information requested by the named parties' lawyers, and fixed it for a morning mention on 15 Oct 2026 (progress on those documents), with lawyers for the named parties to make submissions on the afternoon of 23 Oct 2026. No finding of contempt has been made.
- Court
- Court of Appeal
- Next hearing / due
- Next hearing not confirmed
IGP probe into Anuradhapura rally remarks on court order
During an 18 September 2026 hearing in the separate Namal Rajapaksa CIABOC bribery case, Deputy Solicitor General Janaka Bandara presented the Colombo Chief Magistrate's Court with a CD of a speech Weerawansa gave at an SLPP rally in Anuradhapura on 12 September 2026, in which he commented on the court's earlier order against Rajapaksa. The Chief Magistrate ordered the Inspector General of Police to investigate and report on whether Weerawansa's remarks amount to contempt of court.
This is a distinct matter from the separate 2026 satyagraha contempt referral already before the Court of Appeal (wimal-weerawansa-contempt-referral) - it concerns different conduct (the 12 September rally remarks, not the July 2026 satyagraha) and a different procedural stage (a police investigation just ordered, not yet a Court of Appeal referral).
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No charge, finding of contempt, or arrest has been reported.
What’s happened
Investigation stage only. On 22 September 2026 it was reported that the Colombo Central Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) had begun the court-ordered investigation, on the Inspector General of Police's instruction, into whether Weerawansa's 12 September Anuradhapura rally remarks amount to contempt of court; the Magistrate directed investigators to keep the court informed of the inquiry's progress.
No report date, charge, finding of contempt, arrest, or Court of Appeal referral has been reported for this specific matter. On 30 September 2026 Newswire reported that the CCIB had summoned Weerawansa to give a statement at 10 am on Friday (2 October 2026). A summons to give a statement is not an arrest, charge or finding. On 9 Oct 2026 Newswire reported, attributing it to police, that investigators had submitted their findings, witness statements and unedited television footage of the speech to the court, and that the material was forwarded to the court registrar for further legal action under the Contempt of a Court, Tribunal or Institution Act; police said this could lead to a Court of Appeal contempt proceeding.
Read the full account (1 more paragraph)Show less
No proceeding has been confirmed as filed, and no contempt finding, charge, arrest, remand or sentence has been reported.
- Court
- Colombo Chief Magistrate's Court (order); CCIB investigation reporting to Colombo Magistrate's Court No. 2
- Next hearing / due
- Next hearing not confirmed
Wimal Weerawansa in the news
In the news
Stories in the news feed that name Wimal Weerawansa, with every outlet’s report of each grouped together. These are other outlets’ reports; what they say is not Nadu’s verified record.
No stories naming Wimal Weerawansa in the news right now. New reports appear here as outlets publish them.
Wimal Weerawansa political career
Ministerial positions
Leader, National Freedom Front
2008–?
Minister of Construction / Housing
2010–2015
Minister of Housing and Social Welfare
2018–2018
Minister of Small and Medium Business / Industries / Supply Chain portfolios
2019–2020
Minister of Industries
2020–2022
Other political positions
No other positions publicly confirmed.
Wimal Weerawansa party history
NFF political activity began under his leadership on 14 May 2008. Coalition participation must not create artificial exits and re-entries.