Former State Minister Arundika Fernando appeared before the Central Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) on Thursday, where investigators are recording a statement from him in connection with the inquiry into alleged large-scale drug trafficker Shiran Basik.

Fernando attended after a summons was issued by investigators, NewsFirst reported, citing police. The summons concerns allegations that money had been received from Basik, who is currently held in detention.

Ada Derana reported that the questioning is linked to the investigation into Basik, who was recently brought back to Sri Lanka from Dubai, and added that investigators are also expected to obtain a statement from Fernando regarding his assets and liabilities as part of the inquiry. Hiru News confirmed his arrival at the bureau to record a statement but carried no further detail.

Attending to give a statement carries no implication of wrongdoing, and no outlet has reported any allegation against Fernando or said whether he attends as a witness or a suspect.

The second former officeholder called in this week

Fernando is the second former local or national officeholder summoned over the Basik investigation in three days. Former Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia Mayor Dhanasiri Amaratunga gave a statement to the same bureau on Tuesday, in an inquiry NewsFirst then described as concerning a cash transaction involving Basik.

The pattern in both cases is the same: the bureau is tracing money that moved between Basik and people holding or formerly holding public office.

Who Basik is

Basik, 48, is a resident of Kalubowila and the subject of an Interpol Red Notice. He was flown back to Sri Lanka from Dubai on 14 August with two other men described as underworld figures, more than two months after Dubai Police arrested him in May. He had lived in the United Arab Emirates since 2018, presenting himself as a wealthy businessman, and was handed to the CCIB on arrival under a detention order.

Two days after his return he told investigators he holds a stake in five Marine Drive hotels, while police alleged he had dealt with terrorist organisations. The inquiry has since centred on tracing his assets and the people who handled them.

A note on spelling

The outlets differ on the suspect’s surname. Ada Derana writes Basik; NewsFirst writes Basick in both its headline and body. LankaNewz has used Basik since the case began, following Ada Derana.

Update: the questioning lasted about two and a half hours, and he left

Fernando arrived at the bureau at 9.00 a.m. and departed at around 11.30 a.m. after giving his statement, police said, making the session approximately two and a half hours, NewsFirst reported in a later filing.

That he left the same morning is the substantive point: he was not arrested, detained or held beyond the statement, and the bureau took no further step against him on the day. NewsFirst described the inquiry as concerning his alleged associations with Basick, who it said remains in detention custody, and said further investigations are continuing.

This filing attributes the summons to the Colombo Central Crimes Investigation Bureau, naming the Colombo unit specifically where the earlier reports referred to the bureau generally.

Still unreported

No outlet has stated the size or direction of any payment, when Fernando held state ministerial office, whether he holds any current position, or whether he has been asked to return. None reports whether the statement on his assets and liabilities that Ada Derana said investigators expected to obtain was in fact recorded during the session. Neither the CCIB nor Fernando has issued a public statement.

Sources