The Colombo High Court has fixed June 17 for the trial of former Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody on corruption charges filed by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC).
The case was taken up before High Court Judge Rashantha Godawela on Tuesday, who concluded the pre-trial conference and announced the trial date. The judge also ordered summons to be issued for two prosecution witnesses to appear on the same day, Newswire reported.
The charges relate to Jayakody’s tenure in 2016 as Manager of the Production and Imports Division at the Lanka Fertilizer Company, predating his political career. CIABOC alleges he caused a loss of Rs. 8,859,708 to the government by awarding a contract for carpet installation at the company’s warehouse premises to a private firm.
The case is separate from the parallel coal-import inquiries that prompted his resignation as Energy Minister last month and from the Presidential Coal Commission proceedings currently under way at Hulftsdorp. Jayakody survived a no-confidence motion 153–49 on April 10 before stepping down a week later.
