A court of Sri Lanka on Thursday sentenced two former government ministers of the deposed president Gotabaya Rajapaksa decades in prison in a case of historical corruption.
The former Minister of Sports, Mahindananda, Aluthgamage and the former Minister of Commerce, Anil Fernando, were declared guilty by the Superior Court of Colombo to improperly appropriate 53 million rupees ($ 177,000) of state funds.
The couple also received a fine of $ 2,000 for using government money to donate board games, including 14,000 carrom boards and 11,000 draft sets, in an attempt to increase the failed 2015 re -election offer of Gotabaya’s older brother, Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Aluthgamage was sentenced to 20 years in jail. Fernando was sentenced to 25 years.
Aluthgamage is now the most important member of a cabinet led by Rajapaksa to be successful by corruption.
The cases against both men began six years ago, when the Rajapaksa brothers were out of power, but the case had been progressing slowly until a new government took office last year.
Aluthgamage also faces a separate investigation into the accusations that authorized a payment of $ 6.09 million to a Chinese supplier for a fertilizer sending that never delivered.
It caused a stir in 2020 when he accused the National Cricket team of Sri Lanka to manipulate the 2011 World Cup final in favor of India, which caused an investigation that finally could not corroborate its claims.
Aluthgamage, who served as Sports Minister from 2010 to 2015, said in June 2020 that “he had not wanted to reveal” the alleged mat of setting parties at that time.
“In 2011, we were supposed to win, but we sold the game. I feel that I can talk about that now. I am not implying the players, but certain sections were involved,” he said.
Sri Lanka lost the final at the Mumbai Wankhede stadium for six WICKETS. Both Indian players and Sri Lanka have strongly denied any irregularity.
