The Colombo High Court on Tuesday sentenced former Deputy Minister Sarana Gunawardena to four years’ rigorous imprisonment on each of four corruption counts and imposed a combined fine of Rs. 1.8 million, in a long-running prosecution by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption.

High Court Judge Mohamed Mihail delivered the sentence after finding Mr Gunawardena guilty on all four counts. The court ordered the four sentences to run consecutively, taking the total to 16 years’ rigorous imprisonment, Ada Derana reported in a follow-up update. The judge said the CIABOC had proved the charges beyond reasonable doubt and observed that corruption in state institutions undermined public confidence and contributed to economic instability. The court rejected a defence plea for leniency under Section 303 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, saying the nature of the offences required a sentence that would deter future wrongdoing in public institutions.

The four cases — filed by CIABOC — relate to Mr Gunawardena’s tenure as Chairman of the Development Lotteries Board in 2006, when he was accused of causing financial loss to the state by procuring three vehicles on a rental basis in a manner that allegedly gave undue benefits to the vehicle owners.

The verdict followed multiple deferrals. The judgment was originally fixed for 30 April before being moved to 26 May, when Judge Mihail postponed delivery again on the ground that the rulings were not ready. The matter was then re-fixed for 9 June.

Mr Gunawardena, who previously served as a deputy minister under the Mahinda Rajapaksa administration, had denied the allegations throughout the proceedings. The sentencing closes one of the older CIABOC tracks in the High Court system and adds to the widening wave of corruption prosecutions moving through Sri Lankan courts in 2026.

Sources