Anusha Pelpita and Lalith Weeratunga who used monies to distribute 'sil' cloth ... sentenced to 3 years' rigorous imprisonment!

Anusha Pelpita and Lalith Weeratunga who used monies to distribute 'sil' cloth ... sentenced to 3 years' rigorous imprisonment!

Because of the wastage resulting in Rs. 600 million public funds of Telecommunication Regulatory Commission of which Anusha Pelpita was its Director General and Secretary of former President Lalith Weeratunga too were found guilty today by Colombo High Court for taking

prominence in the activity of election promotion activities at the time former President Mahinda Rajapaksa contested for the Presidential election by distributing 'sil' cloth with Mahinda's image being imprinted and being directed to temples.

As such, a 3 year jail sentence which includes one and a half year each for a single offence comprising 2 offences was enforced with a fine of Rs. 30 lakhs for each convict by the High Court. In the same manner the High Court imposed a fine of 100 lakhs at Rs. 50 lakhs to be paid for the second and third offence. This offence is that monies have been allocated in an illicit manner for granting patronage for promotional activities from State funds of one candidate.

The said verdict was given by High Court Judge Mr. Gihan Gunatilleka. Having suspected that this verdict would be given, recently a group of lawyers of Sri Lanka Bar Association had visited Chief Justice Mr. Priyasad Dep and had requested that Mr. Gihan be transferred to another court, it was reported; but it did not transpire until the last moment.