Trial Against Former Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody to Begin on June 17

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Colombo High Court today (6) ordered that the case filed against former Minister of Power and Energy Kumara Jayakody be taken up for trial starting June 17.

The case has been filed over allegations that procurement procedures were carried out in a manner that favoured a private company, causing a financial loss to the government, in relation to a carpeting contract at the warehouse premises of the Lanka Fertiliser Company in 2016.

The case was taken up before Colombo High Court Judge Rashantha Godawela. After considering submissions made by both the prosecution and the defence, the judge directed the prosecution to furnish all documents required for the trial to the defence within two weeks. The pre-trial conference was then concluded.

The judge fixed June 17 as the date to commence the trial and issued summons to two prosecution witnesses, instructing them to appear before court on that day.

The Bribery Commission has filed charges against the accused alleging that, while serving as the procurement manager of the Lanka Fertiliser Company in 2016, he had conducted procurement activities for carpeting the company’s warehouse premises in a manner that provided undue advantage to a private company, thereby causing a loss of Rs. 8,859,708 to the government.

The charges have been brought under Section 70 of the Bribery or Corruption Act, alleging the offence of “corruption.”