2 former Sri Lankan ministers jailed in 2015 corruption case

Colombo, May 29 (PTI) A Sri Lankan court on Wednesday sentenced two former ministers to rigorous imprisonment in connection with a corruption case linked to the 2015 presidential election.

Mahindananda Aluthgamage, who served as sports minister from 2010 to 2015, was sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment, while Nalin Fernando, trade minister from 2022 to 2024, was handed a 25-year sentence by the Colombo High Court.

The duo was convicted of causing a loss of LKR 53 million to the state by purchasing sports equipment intended to be distributed as inducements during the 2015 presidential polls.

At least 14,000 carrom boards and 11,000 draught boards were purchased between Sept 1 and Dec 31, 2014 for distribution to sports clubs. At the time, Fernando headed the state-owned wholesale trade agency through which the procurement was made.

The case, initially filed in 2019, was withdrawn in 2022 due to a technical issue.

However, the current National People's Power (NPP) government led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in the run-up to last year's election had pledged to revive stalled corruption cases.

Aluthgamage and Fernando were prosecuted by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption. PTI CORR SCY SCY