The Supreme Court today (02) ordered that a fundamental rights petition filed naming former Minister A. H. M. Fowzie as a respondent be taken up for consideration on November 4.
The petition seeks a ruling that former Minister A.H.M. Fowzie violated the fundamental human rights of the public by using a luxury jeep, donated by the government of the Netherlands, for his personal use during his tenure as the Minister of Disaster Management.
The fundamental rights petition has been filed by former Chairman of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, Chandra Jayaratne.
The case was called before a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court comprising Justices S. Thurairaja, Menaka Wijesundara, and Sampath B. Abeykoon.
According to Ada Derana reporter, when the petition was taken up today, no legal representative appeared on behalf of the respondent, former Minister Fowzie. Although his name was called in open court, he was not present.
Accordingly, court ordered the petitioner’s party to take steps to serve notice to the former Minister within four weeks.
The petition has named eight respondents, including former Minister A.H.M. Fowzie and Siththi Marina Mohamed, who served as his secretary.
The petitioner stated that in 2010, while serving as the Minister of Disaster Management, a luxury vehicle was donated by the Government of the Netherlands to the Disaster Management Centre. However, the former Minister later assigned the vehicle for his personal use.
The petition further alleged that approximately one million rupees from the funds of the Ministry were spent on maintaining the vehicle.
Subsequently, the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption filed an indictment against the former Minister before the Colombo High Court. After pleading guilty to the charge, the High Court imposed a suspended prison sentence of 10 years.
Although former Minister Fowzie had taken an oath to uphold the Constitution as a Minister, the petitioner claimed that his actions violated that oath and infringed on the fundamental human rights of the people of the country.
Therefore, the petitioner has requested the Supreme Court to deliver a ruling affirming this violation.
