Alleged Bribery Case against Wimal fixed for January 16

A case filed against Former Minister Wimal Weerawansa in connection with the unlawful acquisition of money and assets worth Rs.75 million was fixed for January 16 by the Colombo High court.

The case was taken up before Colombo High Court Judge Navaratne Marasinghe.

At a previous occasion, President’s Counsel Shavindra Fernando appearing for accused Weerawansa raised a preliminary objection and pointed out that since Parliamentarians are not defined as Government employees under the Bribery Act, his client is not capable of suing under the Bribery Act.

Considering the facts, the Colombo High Court judge ordered the prosecution and defense to file written objections over the Preliminary objection raised by defence before January 16.The case will be taken up again on January 16. In this case, the Bribery Commission Director General had filed indictments against Wimal Weerawansa for the alleged unlawful acquisition of money and assets, estimated at Rs.75 million, within a period of six years, while serving as a Minister, during the former Mahinda Rajapaksa regime.The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) Director General alleged that the Minister had committed this offence by way of undeclared assets between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2014.

The indictments were filed under 39 incidents based on monetary and property transactions estimated at Rs.75 million.The Director General alleged that the Minister had unlawfully made 26 monetary transactions, constructed a house, and purchased lands and vehicles in contravention of Section 23(a) of the Bribery Act.The Bribery Commission’s Director General further alleged that former Minister Weerawansa had owned these properties deemed under the provision of the Act to be property acquired through bribery.