Opposition renews forensic audit demand after e-visa verdict

The opposition has renewed its demand for a long delayed forensic audit into the controversial e-visa deal, following the sentencing of former Controller General of Immigration, Harsha Ilukpitiya, for contempt of court.

Initially, former ministers and MPs Patali Champika Ranawaka, M.A. Sumanthiran, and Rauff Hakeem filed three separate petitions based on the findings of the Committee on Public Finance (COPF), though the substance of each case is identical.

Ilukpitiya, who had been in remand custody for a year, admitted guilt today, September 23, 2025, and was sentenced to a further two years in prison for failing to implement a Supreme Court interim order to revert to the old visa system.

Speaking to Times Online, Ranawaka said that according to his calculations, the government lost Rs. 3.71 billion between April 17, when the new system was introduced, and the date of the interim order. The failure to implement the court’s directive, he added, resulted in a further loss of Rs. 4 billion.

“These are our calculations. Parliament approved a forensic audit by the Auditor General in July last year, but for over 15 months the President, as Finance Minister, has failed to act. He is avoiding it,” Ranawaka charged.

He further explained that the original system, which processed visas for one dollar, was abandoned without justification and replaced with a system charging 25 dollars per visa. The company awarded the contract, he said, was small and lacked credibility, raising suspicions of possible money laundering.

Ranawaka stressed that the sentencing of Ilukpitiya carried a wider message “This verdict sends a very important message to all public officials. They cannot ignore a court directive under pressure from politicians or officials. It is a clear signal about upholding the rule of law,” he said.

The three-judge bench comprising Justices Yasantha Kodagoda, Janak de Silva, and Arjuna Obeyesekere delivered the sentence. Justice Kodagoda, in his remarks, said Ilukpitiya’s actions amounted to a “serious act of contempt against the judiciary” and that he had “willfully disregarded the authority of the Supreme Court.”

The charges stemmed from Ilukpitiya’s failure to comply with an interim order issued in August last year, which suspended the government’s e-visa decision and directed the reinstatement of the previous Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) process. Despite the order, Ilukpitiya failed to act.

Ilukpitiya has been in remand custody since September last year for his failure to implement the directive.

Meanwhile, the main case, which addresses the broader damage caused to the country and alleged human rights violations linked to the e-visa deal, remains ongoing and is scheduled to be taken up on November 23, 2025.