Colombo High Court today ordered the release of three accused in a misappropriation case including former minister Johnston Fernando.
The trio is accused of incurring a loss to the government by unlawfully engaging the employees of Cooperative Wholesale Establishment (CWE/Lanka Sathosa) in political activities during Fernando’s tenure as the Minister of Cooperatives and Internal Trade.
The Bribery Commission had lodged the case before Colombo Magistrate’s Court against Johnston Fernando, former CWE chairman Eraj Fernando and former CWE Working Director Mohamed Shakeer, for allegedly using 153 employees of Lanka Sathosa in political activities while serving as a minister between 2010 and 2014 and incurring a loss to the tune of Rs 40 million to the government.
When the case was called before Colombo High Court judge Namal Balalle this morning (May 19), the defendants raised preliminary objections, saying that this case filed by the Bribery Commission cannot be maintained.
Accepting this preliminary objection, the Colombo High Court judge ordered that the three accused be released from the case.
