Ex-Ministers Mahindananda and Nalin Fernando produced before court

Former ministers Mahindananda Aluthgamage and Nalin Fernando, who were sentenced to rigorous imprisonment and appealed against their convictions on corruption charges, have been produced before the Supreme Court by prison officials.

The prison officials escorted the two former ministers to the Supreme Court complex a short while ago, Ada Derana reporter said.

The case had been filed by the Bribery Commission, alleging that during the 2015 Presidential Election period, the two former ministers had imported 14,000 carrom boards and 1,000 checkers boards through Lanka Sathosa and distributed them among campaign offices of then-presidential candidate Mahinda Rajapaksa, thereby causing a loss exceeding Rs. 53 million to the government.

Accordingly, former minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage was sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment, while former minister Nalin Fernando was sentenced to 25 years of rigorous imprisonment by the Colombo Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar.

The two former ministers filed appeals before the Supreme Court, seeking to overturn their convictions and be acquitted of all charges.

Accordingly, the hearing of their appeals is scheduled to commence today (09).