Case against Rohitha Abeygunawardena fixed for trial

A case filed against former Minister Kalutara District MP Rohitha Abeygunawardena for the alleged unlawful acquisition of assets estimated at Rs. 41.1 million was yesterday fixed for trial by the Colombo High Court.

Accordingly, the case will be taken up for trial on July 3 and 4.

At an earlier occasion, the High Court had overruled a preliminary objections raised by former Minister against the Bribery Commission’s decision to amend the charges.

The Director General of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption had filed an indictment in the Colombo High Court on two counts against former Minister Rohitha Abeygunawardena for the unlawful acquisition of assets estimated at Rs.41.1 million.

In his indictment, the Director General of the Bribery Commission alleged that the former Minister had committed this offence by way of undeclared assets in between 2004 to 2006.

The Director General alleged that the former minister had unlawfully made 66 monitory transactions, constructed a house and purchased a jeep in contravention to the section 23(a) of the Bribery Act.

The Director General further alleged that former Minister Abeygunawardena had owned these properties-deems an offence come under the provision of the act to be property acquired by bribery.