Secretary to the Ministry of Power and Energy Dr. B.M.S. Batagoda today surrendered to the Colombo Magistrate’s Court through an attorney, after an arrest warrant was issued on him for failing to appear before the court.
Colombo Chief Magistrate Lal Ranasinghe Bandara had issued the arrest warrant yesterday (23) for failing to appear before the court to provide a testimony in the bribery case filed against former Deputy Minister Sarana Gunawardena.
After the ministerial secretary had surrendered to court, his attorney apprised the magistrate that the summons issued to his client had been sent to the Ministry of Finance and therefore Dr Batagoda was not aware he had been summoned to appear at court.
The magistrate ordered that the arrest warrant be dismissed and that he be present at court on July 06, 2017.
Two cases were filed by the Bribery Commission against Gunawardena for failing to declare assets during the two years he served as the chairman of the National Lotteries Board while Dr Batagoda has been named as the first witness in both cases.
