Gampaha district parliamentarian Prasanna Ranatunge and his wife Maureen Ranatunge have been granted leave by the Colombo High Court to travel to Australia for their daughter’s graduation.

Accordingly, the former Chief Minister and his wife will be allowed to travel to Australia between December 10 and 22nd to attend their daughters graduation.

MP Ranatunge and his wife, who are currently out on bail, are facing charges of having threatened a businessman over the phone with the intention of extorting Rs. 64 million from him.

The businessman had entered into an agreement with former Chief Minister Ranatunge to clear land purchased by him in Meethotamulla of unlawful residents for the sum of Rs. 64 million – Rs. 15 million had already been paid, the Court learned at previous sessions.