Sri Lanka, July 15 -- Colombo Chief Magistrate, Asanga Bodaragama yesterday (14) ordered the temporary lifting of the foreign travel ban imposed on former Minister Prasanna Ranatunga.

The order was issued after the former Minister's legal counsel informed court that his client needed to travel abroad for personal reasons. The defence requested court to suspend the travel restrictions from July 17 to August 2. Ranatunga is currently out on bail following an investigation by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC).

The charges involve alleged irregularities concerning direct medical insurance provisions for employees of four state tourism institutions: the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA)...