The Colombo Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar has rejected the bail applications filed by former ministers Mahindananda Aluthgamage and Nalin Fernando, who sought release pending appeal against their prison sentences.
The three-judge bench comprising Priyantha Liyanage, Viraj Weerasuriya, and P.M.T. Bandara delivered the order, ruling that a defendant convicted by a court must present specific grounds when applying for bail pending appeal.
However, the bench observed that the bail applications submitted by the two defendants lacked sufficient specificity to justify release and therefore rejected the requests.
The Bribery Commission had filed the case against former Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage and Nalin Fernando before a three-judge bench of the Colombo High Court, accusing them of causing a loss of nearly Rs. 53 million to the government. The loss allegedly resulted from importing 14,000 carrom boards and 11,000 draughts boards through Sathosa for distribution to political offices of then-presidential candidate Mahinda Rajapaksa during the 2015 presidential election.
Following a lengthy trial, the court sentenced Aluthgamage to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment and Fernando to 25 years of rigorous imprisonment. Both have filed appeals before the Supreme Court challenging the convictions.
Their lawyers had requested bail pending the appeal, but the High Court rejected the applications.
Mahindananda & Nalin Fernando’s Bail Applications rejected by the HC
