Former State Minister Shantha Premaratne acquitted of bribery charges

Former Deputy Minister Shantha Premaratne was yesterday acquitted and released by the Colombo High Court from the alleged case for receiving a bribe of Rs.365,000 to provide government jobs.

The judgement was delivered by Colombo High Court Judge Amal Ranaraja after considering a request made by President’s Counsel U.R.De Silva to release the accused without summoning the dock statements as the charges have not been proved by the prosecution beyond the reasonable doubts against the accused.The case was filed against former Deputy Minister Shantha Premaratne under six counts for allegedly receiving Rs. 365,000 as bribe from the children of three persons who would be given government jobs in 2017.

After the indictment was filed in 2015, the witnesses who allegedly gave bribes have testified in the court that they did not give the money in hope of a government job but for the construction of a party office.

The witnesses have testified in court that this bribery complaint was filed at the instigation of the constituency organizer who replaced the accused Sri Lanka Freedom Party, Shantha Premaratne.

Considering the facts, the Colombo High Court Judge ordered to acquit and release the accused from the case without summoning the dock statements.