The Colombo High Court today fixed January 26 to deliver its order regarding an application filed on behalf of former State Minister Nalaka Godahewa and two others, requesting they be acquitted from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) case without calling defense evidence.
The Attorney General had filed indictments against former State Minister Nalaka Godahewa and two others in connection with their alleged involvement in conspiring to misappropriate Rs. 5 million of funds belonging to the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The defence made an application before High Court Judge Amal Ranaraja in terms of Section 200 (1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, requesting the court to record a verdict of acquittal on behalf of the three accused, in view of the fact that the evidence led by the prosecution totally failed to establish the commission of the offence charged against the accused in the indictment.
Yesterday, the Attorney General announced that the prosecution had completed recording evidence from prosecution witnesses.President’s Counsel Shavindra Fernando, appearing for the defense, made a request to acquit the accused without calling defense evidence.
In this case, the Attorney General maintained that former chairman of the SEC Nalaka Godahewa, SEC former Deputy Director General Dhammika Manjira Perera, and Tharunyata Hetak Organization sports director Ronnie Ibrahim conspired to misappropriate a sum of Rs. 5 million of funds which were granted as a sponsor to the Tharunyata Hetak Organization (A Tomorrow for Youth) by the SEC, and the money in question had been transferred to a bank account belonging to Ceylon Premium Sports Limited to promote rugby, contrary to a Commission decision. The Attorney General further alleged that the three accused had committed this offence between August 6 and August 18, 2013.
The third accused, Ronnie Ibrahim, had been charged with aiding and abetting to commit this offense.
