President Maithripala Sirisena has granted presidential pardon to a former Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) Pradeshiya Sabha (PS) Chairman who was initially sentenced to 18 years imprisonment over a bribery case.
Lakskshman Pathiraja Samarasinghe, the accused, was sentenced to imprisonment terms of six years for each of the three counts under which he was found guilty. He was serving as the Chairman of the Warakapola PS at the time of the offence.
Mr. Samarasinghe was found guilty before the Colombo High Court for soliciting a bribe of Rs 25,000 to award a tender for the construction of a road belonging to the Warakapola Pradeshiya Sabha.
Accordingly, six charges had initially been filed against the suspect before he was convcited by the High Court under Section 21 of the Bribery Act only on three charges.
While announcing the imprisonment term, court had also fined the then Warakapola Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman Rs 5000 for each of the three offences over which he was found guilty.
Mr. Samarasinghe, had then appealed against the High Court's verdict by citing that the punishment imposed on him was excessive. Accordingly, the Appeal Court, in 2017, had revised his jail term to three-and-a-half years for each of the three charges.
Court documents show that former Appeal Court Chairman Vijith Malalgoda, and Justice H.C.J. Madawela while delivering the verdict had said that the suspect had been sufferring from a type of cancer and was receiving treatment at the cancer institute in Maharagama.
Mr. Ali Sabri Rahim, a Member of Parliament (MP) for Puttalam District whom an open warrant had been issued, attended a public ceremony at Al Aksha National School in Kalpitiya today (16) as the special guest of honor.
All Ceylon Makkal Congress MP Ali Sabri Raheem had been arrested by Kalpitiya police after he surrendered to the police today morning.
Senior DIG Nilantha Jayawardena has been sent on compulsory leave pending disciplinary investigation over his failure to prevent the Easter Sunday bombings.
The 22nd amendment to the constitution dealing with the term of the President has been gazetted by order of President Ranil Wickremesinghe.
Auspicious times widely followed by candidates keeping with traditions will be taken into consideration by the Election Commission in fixing the date and time for the conduct on the Presidential polls.
The Cabinet of Ministers has granted policy approval to change the wording “exceeding six years” in paragraph (b) of Article 83 of the Constitution to “exceeding five years” with reference to the President’s tenure.
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