The case filed by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) against former Minister Johnston Fernando and three others was taken up for hearing once again before the Colombo High Court today (23).

The case has been filed over allegations that the group caused financial losses to the government by assigning employees of Lanka Sathosa for political activities during the tenure of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The case was taken up before Colombo High Court Judge Lanka Jayaratne.

During the trial, A.M. Wijeratne, who had served as the Coordinating Officer to the former Minister, was cross-examined by the defence counsel.

The judge then adjourned the case until July 30 and ordered that a witness be summoned to appear before court on that date.

During the hearing, the accused, who are out on bail — former Minister Johnston Fernando, former Sathosa Chairman Eraj Fernando, and Mohamed Saakir, who served as the coordinating secretary of the former Minister— appeared before court.

The Attorney General filed the case under Section 70 of the Bribery Act, alleging that between 2010 and 2014, while serving as the Minister of Trade, Johnston Fernando and the other two accused committed the offense of corruption by removing a group of Sathosa employees from their official duties and deploying them in political activities, thereby causing a loss to the government.