Handunnetti’s FR against alleged sugar fraud fixed for January

By Lakmal Sooriyagoda

The Fundamental Rights petition filed by Minister Sunil Handunnetti, while he was in the opposition, seeking an order to recover Rs. 15.9 billion from those responsible for the alleged sugar fraud that occurred during sugar imports in 2020, was yesterday fixed for support by the Supreme Court.  
A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court, comprising Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena, Justice Kumudini Wickremasinghe, and Justice Mahinda Samayawardhena, fixed the petition to be taken up for support on January 19, 2026.  
The Court directed the petitioner to serve notices on the Minister of Finance and the Secretary to the Ministry of Finance regarding the petition. Meanwhile, the Court was informed of the need to amend the caption of the petition due to changes in the designations of the respondents.  
The petitioner is seeking an order directing the Attorney General to recover a sum of Rs.15.9 billion from respondents and to credit the concerned amount to the Consolidated Fund.  
The petitioner had named former Finance Ministry Secretary S.R. Attygalle, Sri Lanka Standard Institution Chairman Nushad Perera, Pyramid Wilmar (Pvt) Limited, Director of Pyramid Wilmar (Pvt) Limited Sajath Mawzoon, former Secretary to the President Dr. P.B. Jayasundara, the Chairman of Consumer Affairs Authority, and Attorney General as respondents in the petition.  
The petitioner is further seeking a Declaration that Fundamental Rights of the Petitioner and the General Public of Sri Lanka guaranteed by Article 12 of the Constitution are infringed by the respondents.  
The petitioner maintained that as a result of the corruption a levy amounting to Rs. 15.9 billion was lost to the government and which should have been remitted to the Consolidated Fund.