Court revises bail condition of Ex Moratuwa Mayor

By Bhagya Silva

Colombo, January 9 (Daily Mirror) - Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama today ordered the modification of a bail condition imposed on former Mayor of the Moratuwa Municipal Council Saman Lal Fernando who has been produced before court as a suspect in a corruption related case.

Appearing on behalf of the suspect, counsel informed court that although his client had been summoned to the Moratuwa Municipal Council to present matters relating to an act carried out during his tenure as an Urban Councillor, he was unable to comply due to a bail condition imposed by court prohibiting him from entering the premises of the Moratuwa Municipal Council.

Accordingly, counsel requested court to amend the relevant bail condition.

Accepting the request, the Chief Magistrate ordered that the bail condition be modified to permit the suspect to enter the Moratuwa Municipal Council premises strictly for essential purposes only.

The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption had arrested and produced the former Moratuwa Mayor before court on suspicion of causing a loss to the Government by violating financial regulations and making payments to his associates in relation to 112 development project contracts of the Moratuwa Municipal Council, implemented under the Maga Neguma Urban and Rural Road Development Project.

Subsequently, the court fixed the matter to be called again on June 12.