CIABOC ordered to file objections in the corruption case against Johnston

By T. Farook Thajudeen  

Colombo High Court ordered the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) to file objections on October 9 against the revision application filed by former Minister Johnston Fernando, former Sathosa Chairman Eraj Fernando and its former Director, Operations Mohideen Kaja Mohideen Sakir.  

The Court made this order considering the submissions made by the Counsel for the three suspects and the CIABOC.  

The Counsel for the suspects filed this revision application in the High Court against an order made by the Colombo Chief Magistrate rejecting a request made by defence counsel to dismiss the matter without taking it for trial.  In this case, the accused are charged with allegedly removing 32 Sathosa employees from their duties between 2010 and 2015 and assigning them for political campaigns resulting a monetary loss to the state.   

Altogether there are five cases before the Colombo High Court against the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s orders, filed by the suspects.   

The accused are alleged to have re-tasked 153 Sathosa employees for political work from 2010 to 2014, causing a loss of Rs. 40 million to the government in the 
given period.  

The preliminary objections put forward by the lawyers of former minister and MP Johnston Fernando, and three others 
were rejected by the Colombo Chief Magistrate.  

The accused are alleged to have re-tasked 153 Sathosa employees for political work from 2010 to 2014, causing a loss of Rs. 40 million to the government in the given period