Minister of Housing and constructions Prasanna Ranatunga was sentenced to two years rigorous imprisonment suspended for five years after he was found guilty of one of the charges in a case filed for threatening and demanding a sum of 64 million from a businessman today.
The Colombo High Court judge Manjula Thilakaratne imposed a fine of Rs. 25 Million in addition to the suspended imprisonment on the Minister.
If the Minister fails to pay the Rs. 25 Million fine, 9 more months will be added to the sentence.
The Colombo High Court ordered If the Minister fails to pay the Rs. 1 Million compensation, 3 more months will be added to the sentence.
The Minister’s wife Maureen Ranatunga and another person who were also charged in the case, were acquitted and released from all charges by the Colombo High Court Judge.
They were accused of threatening a businessman named Gerad Mendis and demanding Rs. 64 million to evict unauthorized occupants of a land in the Meethotamulla area in Kolonnawa and to refill the land. The Attorney General filed the case on 15 individual charges.
