Former Olympian Ranga Wimalawansa remanded on defraud charges
Former Olympian and Asian gold medalist in the Men’s 400m event, Ranga Wimalawansa, who was convicted of defrauding by the Colombo Fort Magistrate, was granted bail on Friday on Rs. 50,000 cash bail and two surety bails of Rs.2 million.
However, Fort magistrate Thilina Gamage ordered him to be remanded till December 28, 2023 for another case of defrauding.
On Thursday, the magistrate sentenced Wimalawansa to two years of rigorous imprisonment after he was found guilty of defrauding a sum of Rs.1.06mn with the promise of securing foreign employment in South Korea for an individual.
Additionally, the magistrate imposed an additional fine of Rs.1,500 on Wimalawansa and warned of an extended imprisonment of two weeks if the fine is not paid. The case was investigated by the Colombo Crime Division following a complaint from individuals who were deceived by the accused. Wimalawansa had previously been involved in a foreign employment business and had faced similar accusations in the past.
A former student of Holy Cross College, Kalutara, and St. Peter’s College, Colombo, Wimalawansa made his international debut while still in school, representing Sri Lanka at a Junior Athletic competition in Japan in 1998. He had also represented Sri Lanka at South Asian, Asian, and international levels, as well as at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia.