A corruption case filed against former Minister and Kalutara District Parliamentarian Rohitha Abeygunawardena for the alleged unlawful acquisition of assets estimated at Rs.41.1 million was today re-fixed for trial by Colombo High Court.
When the case came up before High Court Judge Sampath Wijeratne, defence counsel appearing for the accused moved court that a further date be given for the trial since his senior counsel was not present in Court.
Accordingly, the case will be taken up for trial on October 25. The sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth witnesses of the case were advised to appear in Court on next date.
At an earlier occasion, the High Court had overruled a preliminary objections raised by former Minister against the Bribery Commission's decision to amend the charges and decided to proceed with the trial.
The Director General of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption had filed an indictment in the Colombo High Court on two counts against former Minister Rohitha Abeygunawardena for the unlawful acquisition of assets estimated at Rs.41.1 million.
In his indictment, the Director General of the Bribery Commission alleged that the former Minister had committed this offence by way of undeclared assets in between 2004 to 2006.
The Director General alleged that the former minister had unlawfully made 66 monitery transactions, constructed a house and purchased a jeep in contravention to the Section 23(a) of the Bribery Act. The Director General further alleged that former Minister Abeygunawardena had owned these properties-deems under the provision of the act to be property acquired by bribery.