The Colombo High Court sentenced former Minister of Disaster Management A. H. M. Fowzie on 27.08.2024 to two years of imprisonment and suspended it for 10 years. The sentence was given for using a Toyota Land Cruiser worth Rs. 19,500,000 belonging to the Disaster Management Center for his personal activities and for obtaining Rs. 1,073,334.93 from the Ministry for its maintenance.
Further, the High Court ordered this suspended sentence to the former Minister for inducing the Secretary to the Ministry, Siththi Marina Mohammad, to commit this act of corruption and misusing the powers of his office with the intention of causing a wrongful or unlawful loss to the Government. The High Court Judge also ordered the former Minister to pay a fine of rupees one hundred thousand for each charge, which amounts to a total of rupees four hundred thousand.
Deputy Director General of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption, Mr. Asitha Anthony, appeared for the complainant, and President’s Counsel Shavindra Fernando appeared for the accused.
