The Bribery Commission today (May 30) filed fresh indictments against MP Johnston Fernando, charging him with using the employees of Cooperative Wholesale Establishment (CWE) for political activities while serving as the Minister of Cooperatives and Internal Trade.

The case has been filed before the Colombo High Court.

Indictments were filed again today against former Minister Johnston Fernando, former CWE chairman Eraj Fernando and former CWE Working Director Mohamed Shakeer for allegedly incurring a loss to the government to the tune of Rs. 8.4 million by using the CWE employees outside their scope of duties between January 01 and September 31 in 2010.

During the administration of the Government of Good Governance, the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) filed a case with the Colombo Magistrate’s Court, charging the trio with the same offences.

It was later withdrawn as the written sanction of the three commissioners of the Bribery Commission had not been obtained before filing the case. Accordingly, the Magistrate’s Court had ordered to release the three accused from the case.

However, the Bribery Commission filed indictments against the former Minister, the former CWE Chairman and its former Working Director once again today, naming 45 people in total as witnesses.