Former Fisheries Minister Rajitha Senaratne has been indicted before the Colombo High Court by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) over an alleged corruption offence dating to 2012.
The indictment covers the period between June 12 and August 6, 2012, when Senaratne held the fisheries portfolio.
The allegation
According to the charges, Senaratne allegedly pressured the then Chairman of the Ceylon Fisheries Harbour Corporation to lease the corporation-owned vessel “Weligowwa” to a Korean company.
That company had been selected to remove sand from the Kirinda Fisheries Harbour for subsequent sale on the market. CIABOC alleges the former minister committed the offence of corruption by influencing the chairman to facilitate the leasing of the vessel for the project.
Senaratne faces five charges under Section 70 of the Bribery Act. The prosecution has named 13 witnesses and listed 25 documents as productions in the case.
Background
Senaratne, a senior figure across successive governments, has been subject to ongoing court proceedings while out on bail in a corruption-related matter. In May the Colombo Magistrate’s Court temporarily lifted his overseas travel ban to allow him to seek medical treatment abroad.
The serving of indictments moves the matter from the magistrate’s court into the High Court, where the case will be tried.
