The Colombo High Court on Tuesday issued an arrest warrant for the twelfth witness in a corruption case filed against former Trade Minister Johnston Fernando and two co-defendants, after the witness failed to appear to give evidence.
High Court Judge Mohamed Mihal ordered the witness to be arrested and produced before court, Ada Derana reported. The case alleges that the three defendants diverted Lanka Sathosa employees from their official duties to engage in political activities during Mr. Fernando’s tenure as Minister of Trade.
The warrant marks the first compulsion order on a witness in the trial and signals that prosecutors have moved past pre-trial procedure into substantive evidence stages. Compelling witness attendance is a routine step in Sri Lankan high court trials, but it indicates the case is now actively progressing toward findings of fact.
Mr. Fernando is currently in remand custody in a separate matter — the Sathosa lorry permits and ethanol case — where he was denied bail in April and has been held for more than four months. He is among the most senior former Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) figures facing parallel criminal proceedings, alongside the Mahinda Rajapaksa Airbus inquiry and the Cabraal Greek Bond Trial-at-Bar.
Ada Derana said its editorial team has disabled comments on the article in line with its standing policy on ongoing court proceedings.
