Welgama’s revision application HC reserves order for September 12

By T. Farook Thajudeen 

The Colombo High Court (HC) yesterday reserved for September 12 to pronounce its decision on the revision application filed by MP Kumara Welgama against an order of the Colombo Chief Magistrate on the corruption case filed against him. 

While reserving to declare his order, High Court Judge Gihan Kulatunge ordered former Transport Minister Kumara Welgama and the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) to file their submission in court on September 5. 

MP Welgama had filed the revision application in the High Court to set aside an order of the Colombo Chief Magistrate who refused to dismiss a corruption case filed by CIABOC against him for causing an unlawful loss to the government by appointing L.A. Wimalaratne as the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) Deputy Chairman on June 23, 2010 while Mr. Welgama was Transport Minister. 

At the outset of the inquiry by the Magistrate’s Court, Mr. Welgama’s counsel contended that the magistrate had no jurisdiction to hear the case and to dismiss it. 
However, the magistrate overruled the defence stance and fixed the case for trial. Hence, Mr. Welgama sought the High Court to set aside the magistrate’s ruling by a 
revision application. 

CIABOC had charged 

Mr. Welgama in the Magistrate’s Court for causing an unlawful loss to the government through the appointment of a Deputy Chairman to SLTB contrary to the Transport Board Act. 
The commission had filed the case under Section 70 of the Bribery Act on three charges alleging that the former minister had unlawfully appointed L.A. Wimalaratne as the SLTB Deputy Chairman on June 23, 2010 by causing a loss of Rs.3.2 million to the government.

• Charged for causing a loss of Rs.3.2mn by appointing an SLTB Dy. Chairman