Lalith, Anusha sentenced

7 September 2017 01:00 pm - 53 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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Former presidential secretary Lalith Weeratunga and former director general of the Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (TRC), Anusha Palpita were sentenced to three years rigorous imprisonment after being found guilty to the charge of misappropriating Rs.600 million belonging to the TRC and using it to distribute ‘Sil Redi’ during the 2015 presidential election campaign.

Colombo High Court Judge Gihan Kulatunga also imposed a fine of Rs.2 million on each of the convicts and ordered to pay Rs.50 million to the TRC as compensation.

The Attorney General indicted Mr. Weeratunga and Mr. Palpita on three counts of committing criminal misappropriation of TRC funds amounting to Rs.600 million to distribute ‘Sil Redi’ contravening the Telecommunication Act, No. 25 of 1991 during October 30, 2014 to January 5, 2015.

The prosecutors alleged that the funds referred to had been remitted to a bank account maintained by the former president Mahinda Rajapaksa's secretary Weeratunga.

Before the sentenced was passed, they made dock statements denying the allegations levelled against them and told the Court that they were innocent. (Manopriya Gunasekera)

Video by Courts Prasanna, RM

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Comments - 53

BuffaloaCitizen Thursday, 07 September 2017 02:27 PM

Salutations and cheers. This is what this country requires a judicial system that will leave a stamp forever on crooks who lived and robbed the public. Today we Sri Lankans should be proud.

Sri Lankans Friday, 08 September 2017 06:30 AM

These poor fellows, do they have savings to pay these amounts?

yahiya Thursday, 07 September 2017 02:32 PM

Anusha is very simple

KingBarnet@pakistan Thursday, 07 September 2017 03:21 PM

Simple Sil and telecom regulatory anomaly malli.

Voter Friday, 08 September 2017 06:04 AM

Simple all right! Must be still taking sil and can continue where they will be sent!!!

Senewi Thursday, 07 September 2017 02:32 PM

A good lesson to all the government servants

ananda Thursday, 07 September 2017 02:35 PM

Good news. At last we see the wheels of justice moving swiftly to punish the wrong doers. via DM Android App

Nalin Thursday, 07 September 2017 02:38 PM

Finally, the wheels of justice are moving against former top henchmen.

John Friday, 08 September 2017 10:59 AM

The dawn of public JUSTICE in Sri Lanka?

Govinda Thursday, 07 September 2017 02:42 PM

A good start with small brats.

Rohan Thursday, 07 September 2017 05:56 PM

Wrong. These are 2 BIG FISH. Lalith was the Head of the Sri Lanka Civil Service mind you.

suriyabanda Thursday, 07 September 2017 02:46 PM

Two sprats caught amongst the Sharks still swimming free looking for a kill.

Scooby Doo Thursday, 07 September 2017 02:54 PM

This makes sense! Job Well done Yahapalanaya!

Saradial Thursday, 07 September 2017 03:01 PM

If total compensation to TRC 100 million who will pay remaining 500 million?

(M) MAHA (R) Raja Thursday, 07 September 2017 05:57 PM

For MR it will be peanuts

Mohan Thursday, 07 September 2017 07:43 PM

Lunu bikkak, rather!

Be Fair Thursday, 07 September 2017 10:23 PM

Silly Saradial.... That's what we the Voters need to do as Tax Payers

lion Thursday, 07 September 2017 03:12 PM

This is the way it has to be.Justice must be equal to every irrespective of position. WE must thank people like Victor Ivan, Rawaya,E news for their un ending struggle to clean the system justice in our country.

ceylon Thursday, 07 September 2017 03:17 PM

good lesson for all other henchmen too.dont help any one to stealcheat. via DM Android App

Sunil Gamage Thursday, 07 September 2017 04:52 PM

Mahinda mama is responsible for this. He too should be questioned and arrested.

cnj Thursday, 07 September 2017 04:54 PM

At last promises fulfilled and the wheels of justice grinding sil or no sil !

Haramanis Thursday, 07 September 2017 05:04 PM

What goes around comes around too!!

Hemaka Thursday, 07 September 2017 05:16 PM

Look before you leap ! is the advise to all state sector employees.

VISITS Thursday, 07 September 2017 05:59 PM

MR should have a diary to program his visits to Welikada

Bubble Banda Thursday, 07 September 2017 07:20 PM

Because of this nasty man Mahinda, poor fellows are lead to jail, that is a curse for the whole family of Mahinda.

location Thursday, 07 September 2017 06:04 PM

RI in merchants ward ?

ceylon Thursday, 07 September 2017 06:39 PM

good for mahinda.he can learn frm first hand experience frm these criminals how to be there once judgements come out for him via DM Android App

J.M. Ariyasena Thursday, 07 September 2017 07:18 PM

Don't worry Lalith, Anusha - MR will settle your fines, but jail terms he cannot do anything.

R. Leelasena (Businessman) Thursday, 07 September 2017 07:24 PM

MR would have told them that he will be in power for 20-25 years and nothing will happen, do what I say... don't worry I am there etc., God above is watching, next the blow is for Rajapakshe family.

Arthur Thursday, 07 September 2017 07:54 PM

Lalith deserved to be in jail long before this. He was responsible for transferring tsunami funds to Helping Mahinda's Hambantota. Hope he has learnt a lesson at least now.

Manithan Thursday, 07 September 2017 08:01 PM

GOOD,But poor but knowledgeable experierinced government servants been victimiced while the Politicians who ordered are not punished.

Sambo Thursday, 07 September 2017 08:22 PM

This is the result of working for unruly leaders. They did MR's laundry and today they become dirty and MR becomes Mr. Clean. These people cheated by using public money for their own gain.

sanjeeva Thursday, 07 September 2017 08:30 PM

This is a lesson to all wrong doers. Some Sri Lankans have to go to middle east and migrate to west to uplift them economically, whereas some upift them through corrupt means and easy ways. This is the beginning of the journey for a fair and true sri lanka. All the rogues should be prosecuted. No exceptions. Public must voice their request for a corrupt free lanka thorugh speedy and fair judicial process.

Mr.Perfect Thursday, 07 September 2017 08:31 PM

So when will you feel sick to enter a private hospital. Now you are in her majesties free boarding and probably miss all the home comforts. But remember the person who brought you to this is sleeping in A/C comfort.

Ben Thursday, 07 September 2017 08:51 PM

Not enough.200 years ok

thilly Thursday, 07 September 2017 08:53 PM

Rs.2 million for each = Rs.4 millionRs,50 million for each = R.100 millionRS.600 million - Rs 104 million = Rs. 496 million3 years fo Rs.496 million Wow.

TONY Thursday, 07 September 2017 09:05 PM

POOR CHAPS HAVE TO PAY THE PRICE FOR FOLLOWING RAJAPAKSHA ORDERS

Hora Plois Thursday, 07 September 2017 10:10 PM

Basil next, for misappropriating "Divi Naguma" funds to help MR's election campaign

nuwan Thursday, 07 September 2017 10:23 PM

From the days at RC, I knew one day he will end-up as a convict for the masquerades he was famous for.

Hautaum Friday, 08 September 2017 04:04 AM

Luxury vehicle, resident in col, other so many facilities are not enough but they want .. (floating) ........00000000000 as poor people are floating in rain and garbage.

ed Friday, 08 September 2017 05:35 AM

WHAT A DISGRACE ?????THEY LIVED LIKE KIINGS !THEY WERE DISGUSTING DURING FORMER REGIME!THEY PRETENDED TO BE THE MASTERS AND OWNERS AND EVEN TO THE EXTENT OF BEING RULERS DURING FORMER REGIME !!!NOW WHERE IS THEIR PRIDE ???? GONE TO THE DOGS !!!!WHAT GOES UP ALWAYS COMES DOWN !!!!!GET REAL AND FACE THE CONSEQUENCES

Calistus Jayatilleke Friday, 08 September 2017 05:52 AM

Moral of the story: When you sleep with dogs, you end up waking with ticks. More so, when the dog happens to be a pariah dog.

lion Friday, 08 September 2017 06:00 AM

Hats off to the learned Judge who delivers this judgement according to the law of this country. Hope and pray these impartial judgments will protect the name of our judiciary which was marred during the time of rouges who plunderd this poor country by selling the war victory.

Ritigala Jayasena Friday, 08 September 2017 06:15 AM

This is another unfortunate example among many of the rottenness and the hypocrisy of the contemporary Sri Lankan society. Too much talk on religion and spiritually but very little respect for the law...

Dee Friday, 08 September 2017 06:21 AM

As a kid, I remember watching the birds 'sivuru hora' and 'sudu redhi hora'. But with rapid urbanization, lost sign of them about 25 years back. Glad to see them again - in a different form!

iqbal hassan Friday, 08 September 2017 06:32 AM

Is this retribution for all misdeeds of Mahinda. The two cannot be said they are innocent.

RUPEES LOOTED Friday, 08 September 2017 07:01 AM

I repeat my previous Email - The equation, namely : - 500 Mil Rs less [ meters of cloth X Price per meter ] = will give the "profit" made. Whether this "profit" went to these two or shared with others remains the question. However one can be rest assured MR did not touch a cent off thiS ILL gotten gain - REASON - well - "The number of digits in the amount looted is an insult to his range of activities ! " (in other words "it is peanuts" )

Kingsley Wijesinhe Friday, 08 September 2017 07:11 AM

Three years RI seems to be a very lenient sentence for such a massive theft of public money. This is probably what a poor man would get for stealing a coconut.

rajak Friday, 08 September 2017 07:57 AM

Lalith Weratunga has more than enough assets includingThe five stories building house in Colombo 7 built three, four years ago.

Lama Friday, 08 September 2017 08:38 AM

No. let us put ministers behind the bars, not the educated civil servants who are constantly FORCED to carry out minsters' dirty work.Why put the noose around the small fellows' necks to frighten the big ones. It should be the other way around. This is nothing different to a man who stole a coconut serving a jail term. Because at the end of the day Lalith and Anusha didn't fatten their own pockets. I say, the big guys who gave the order should be in , FIRST.

thilak Friday, 08 September 2017 08:57 AM

new justice minister in action

VJ Friday, 08 September 2017 09:12 AM

The good governance team is warming up for the big catch. This will certainly give a morale booster to the to the government and hope to the people. Sentencing MR and the clan will be the icing on the cake.

Gamarala Friday, 08 September 2017 11:07 AM

Pity they gave 'Sil Redi' with the 'hora salli.' They should have givnen 'Amuda Lensu' instead. This bodes well for S/L as it sets an example to others not to rob the public, that there will be consequences.

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Lalith, Anusha sentenced

Comments - 53

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