Sri Lankan Court Sentences Former Ministers in Corruption Scandal
A Sri Lankan court has sentenced two former ministers to rigorous imprisonment for corruption linked to the 2015 presidential election. Mahindananda Aluthgamage received a 20-year sentence, while Nalin Fernando got 25 years. They were convicted of causing a state loss of LKR 53 million by purchasing sports equipment as inducements.
- Country:
- Sri Lanka
In a landmark ruling, a Sri Lankan court has sentenced two former cabinet ministers to rigorous imprisonment over a high-profile corruption scandal concerning the 2015 presidential election.
Mahindananda Aluthgamage, who held the position of sports minister from 2010 to 2015, has been sentenced to a 20-year prison term. His counterpart, Nalin Fernando, who served as trade minister from 2022 to 2024, was handed a 25-year sentence by the Colombo High Court.
The court found the duo guilty of inflicting a financial loss of LKR 53 million on the state. The funds were misused for purchasing sports equipment, intended as vote inducements. This case, initially filed in 2019 and briefly shelved in 2022, saw renewed vigor under the National People's Power government, led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, as part of a pledge to tackle pending corruption cases.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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