22 May 2019 12:01 am
By T. Farook Thajudeen
The Corruption case against former Lotteries Board Chairman and former MP Sarana Gunawardana for alleged payment of advances exceeding the total value of the vehicles of the Lotteries Board was postponed for June 19 as the prosecution had not tendered the copies of the documents and their admissions made in court to the suspect.
At the onset of the Magisterial inquiry before Colombo Chief Magistrate Lanka Jayaratna, Counsel Buddhika Mallawarachchi appearing on behalf of the suspect submitted that the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption had not provided the suspect with the documents of the case and the admissions made by the prosecution in the case.
Hence the Magistrate while fixing further inquiries for June 19 ordered the Commission to inform court whether they could provide the relevant documents and the admissions made in court to the suspect or not.
Mr. Gunawardena is also alleged to have signed agreements with regard to vehicles even without some being registered at the time of signing the documents.
The Bribery Commission has filed nine cases against Sarana Gunawardana for allegedly renting out vehicles belonging to his relatives to the Lotteries Board, causing great losses to the government.