• Defence Counsel informed court that they are expecting to bring preliminary objections against the indictments

By Lakmal Sooriyagoda   

The Colombo High Court yesterday served indictments on former Minister Johnston Fernando and two others over another corruption case filed against them by the Bribery Commission. 

High Court Judge Manjula Tillekaratne ordered each accused to be released on a cash bail of Rs.25,000 with two sureties of one million rupees.   

Defence Counsel informed court that they are expecting to bring preliminary objections against the indictments.  
The Bribery Commission filed this corruption case against former Minister Johnston Fernando, former CWE (Lak Sathosa) Chairman Eraj Fernando and former Minister’s Private Secretary Raj Mohideen Mohammad Sakeer for allegedly causing an unlawful loss to the government by engaging the employees of the CWE for election work during the period 2011.   The Director General of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption filed this corruption case against three accused under Section 70 of the Bribery Act on four charges.  The Bribery Commission alleged that the first accused Johnston Fernando had unlawfully employed Sathosa employees for election work during the period 2011, while Minister Johnston Fernando was serving as the Cooperative and Internal Trade Minister.