Former State Minister Lohan Ratwatte was moved to Colombo General Hospital due to a sudden illness, according to the Department of Prisons spokesperson. Initially admitted to the Prison Hospital on Saturday under the Nugegoda Acting Magistrate’s permission, Ratwatte’s health required further medical attention, leading to his transfer late on the night of November 2.
Ratwatte faces charges related to the use of an illegally imported luxury vehicle, assembled locally without proper registration. He was apprehended by Mirihana Police on October 31 in Katugastota, Kandy, following the discovery of an unregistered vehicle on October 26 at a residence in Mirihana, Nugegoda.
Police located the vehicle, which had no license plates, in a three-storied house in the Embuldeniya area of Mirihana, reportedly owned by Ratwatte’s wife, Shashi Prabha Ratwatte. Ratwatte and his wife informed investigators that his mother-in-law resides at the location and claimed that the vehicle had been brought there three weeks prior by Ratwatte’s private secretary, who recently died from gunshot injuries in Katugastota.
The case has brought renewed focus on the use of unregistered luxury vehicles, highlighting a series of ongoing investigations into related incidents.