Seven years RI for former Civil Aviation Minister Piyankara Jayaratne
The Colombo High Court yesterday sentenced former Civil Aviation Minister Piyankara Jayaratne to seven years’ rigorous imprisonment after finding him guilty of a corruption charge involving a Rs. 320,000 payment made by state-owned SriLankan Catering Ltd. Colombo High Court Judge Mohamed Mihail delivered the verdict following a lengthy trial into the transaction, which dates back […]
A former Civil Aviation Minister in Sri Lanka has been sentenced to seven years of rigorous imprisonment, according to a recent verdict from the Colombo High Court. Former Minister Piyankara Jayaratne was found guilty of corruption charges involving a Rs. 320,000 payment made by state-owned SriLankan Catering Ltd. The verdict was delivered by Judge Mohamed Mihail following a long trial into the transaction that took place in May 2014.
CIABOC, the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption, had accused Jayaratne of misusing his position as Civil Aviation Minister to influence an executive officer of SriLankan Catering. The indictment alleged that Jayaratne asked the executive officer to release funds from the company's accounts to a private catering service in Marawila, in order to provide lunch for his political supporters who attended the May Day rally.
CIABOC claimed that this payment resulted in a loss to the state and constituted an offence of corruption.
Jayaratne held the position of Civil Aviation Minister during the time of the alleged corruption.
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