Only mat and pillow for bedtime for ex-ministers in jail

• They will be assigned prison work following medical assessments  

By Darshana Sanjeewa Balasuriya  

Former ministers Mahindananda Aluthgamage and Nalin Fernando, who were sentenced to rigorous imprisonment, have been admitted to a common ward alongside other convicted prisoners, the Prisons Department said.  

The Colombo Permanent High Court-at-Bar on Thursday handed down lengthy sentences with hard labour to the two former ministers over a high-profile corruption case involving the import of sports equipment. 

Former Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage was sentenced to 20 years, while former Trade Minister Nalin Fernando received a 25-year sentence.  

The case, prosecuted by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), involved a fraudulent procurement deal for 14,000 carrom boards and 11,000 checkerboards imported between September 1 and December 31, 2014.  

As a result of these offences, the government had incurred a loss of over Rs 53 million in public funds, thereby causing significant harm to the public.  

The court ruled that the charges against both accused were proven beyond a reasonable doubt.  

Prisons Department spokesman Gamini Dissanayake said that the former ministers would be assigned prison work following medical assessments.  

According to the Prisons Department, inmates serving serious sentences may be given duties ranging from sweeping to other manual tasks.  

The Spokesman said that Aluthgamage and Fernando would be treated as regular inmates, receiving no special privileges other than a pillow and a mat.