Trial to begin in late April- By Legal Correspondent
The Colombo High Court today (18) served indictments on former Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne and two others in connection with a corruption case filed against them by the Bribery Commission.
The Commission to inquire into Bribery and Corruption had filed indictments in Colombo High Court against former Minister Rajitha Senaratne and two other for allegedly causing financial damage to the government when leasing out the Modara Fisheries harbor to a private firm while he was serving as the Minister of Fisheries in 2014.The transaction had taken place during Mahinda Rajapaksa’s tenure as the President.
Colombo High Court judge Pradeep Hettiarachchi ordered to release the accused on a surety bail of one million rupees after they appeared in court on summons.
The Director General of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption filed indictments against former Minister Rajitha Senaratne, Ceylon Fisheries Harbour Corporation (CFHC) former Chairman Upali Liyanage and CFHC former Managing Director Neil Ravindra Munasinghe under section 70 of the Bribery Act on five charges.
The Bribery Commission alleged that the former Minister had unlawfully taken a decision to lease out the Modara Fisheries harbor to Sea Gulf UK Private Ltd at a lower price between August 1, 2014 and November 1, 2014, while he was still serving as the Fisheries Minister.
The Bribery Commission alleged that by knowing this transaction would cause a huge loss to the government, the former Minister had motivated the members of the CFHC directorate to lease out the fisheries harbor to Sea Gulf UK Private Ltd.
The indictments had been filed on five counts under section 70 of the Bribery Act and section 113 and 102 of the Penal Code. The prosecution had named 17 individuals as witnesses. The Bribery Commission further listed 55 documents as production items in the case.
The case is fixed for trial on April 22.
