{
  "id": 11801882,
  "title": "Ex-Minister faces humiliation after taking disaster relief car",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/04/ex-minister-faces-humiliation-after-taking-disaster-relief-car",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-04T00:00:59.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Island Sri Lanka",
    "slug": "the-island-sri-lanka",
    "url": "http://island.lk/ex-minister-faces-humiliation-after-taking-disaster-relief-car/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A former Disaster Management Minister, A. H. M. Fowzie, faces public disgrace after being ordered to pay back reparations and apologize for misusing state property. The Supreme Court's landmark decision, handed down on Tuesday, mandates the former minister to compensate the state with Rs6.6 million and offer a public apology to citizens whose rights were infringed upon by his actions. In 2022, Fowzie admitted to keeping a newly acquired Toyota Land Cruiser Prado for personal use for over five years, despite having been transferred from his role in the ministry. In August 2024, the High Court imposed a relatively light penalty of Rs400,000 in fines and a suspended two-year prison sentence. Public-interest litigant Chandra Jayaratne filed a petition with the Supreme Court, arguing that Fowzie's actions amounted to a breach of public trust and a loss to the nation. The three-judge bench, led by Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena, unanimously agreed on Tuesday. The court deemed the case a textbook example of corruption, stating that Fowzie had appropriated a piece of critical public infrastructure as his personal property. The Land Cruiser Prado, bearing registration number KI-4666, was acquired for the Disaster Management Centre and was classified as a \"Vehicle Command\" vehicle – a specialized four-wheel-drive vehicle designed for disaster situations. The court found no dispute that Cabinet ministers need reliable transport, but the vehicle taken by Fowzie for personal use was a specialized vehicle purchased with a Dutch government loan. Fowzie also had four other luxury SUVs: a Mitsubishi Montero, a Land Rover Defender, a Toyota Prado, and a Nissan Patrol. The Supreme Court also noted that Fowzie's actions violated State Expenses Management Circular No. CA/1/17/1, which allows ministers to have a maximum of three vehicles for official and personal use. Additionally, the court referenced Islamic teachings on good conduct, emphasizing that public officials must uphold integrity and accountability, and warned that unlawful misuse of public property would be held accountable on the Day of Judgment.",
  "summary": "MONETABRIEF – The Supreme Court has, for the first time, ordered a respondent to grovel before the nation for abusing state property and betraying the public trust. In a landmark decision on Tuesday, the apex court ordered former Disaster Management Minister A. H. M. Fowzie not only to pay Rs6.6 million in reparations to the […]",
  "key_points": [
    "Former Disaster Management Minister A. H. M. Fowzie ordered to pay Rs6.6 million in reparations",
    "Supreme Court mandates public apology for misusing state Toyota Land Cruiser Prado"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The Supreme Court's ruling marks a significant precedent in holding public officials accountable for corruption, underscoring that even high-ranking individuals can be held to account for misusing state property.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}