In a major blow to the once-powerful Rajapaksa political dynasty, two former cabinet ministers from the government of ousted president Gotabaya Rajapaksa were sentenced to lengthy prison terms on Thursday in a high-profile corruption case that has gripped the nation.
Mahindananda Aluthgamage, former Sports Minister, and Anil Fernando, who once served as Trade Minister, were convicted by the Colombo High Court for misappropriating 53 million Sri Lankan rupees (approximately $177,000 USD) in public funds. The court found that the funds were used to distribute thousands of carrom and draughts boards in a thinly veiled attempt to bolster the 2015 re-election campaign of then-President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Gotabaya’s elder brother.
Aluthgamage received a 20-year prison sentence, while Fernando was handed a 25-year term. Both were also fined an additional $2,000 each.
The verdict marks a watershed moment in Sri Lanka’s fight against political corruption. Aluthgamage is now the highest-ranking official from a Rajapaksa-led cabinet to be successfully prosecuted. Though investigations began six years ago when the Rajapaksas were temporarily out of power, the case had languished until a new administration assumed office last year and renewed efforts to hold former officials accountable.
Legal analysts have hailed the ruling as a sign of growing judicial independence and public demand for accountability. “This is a signal to political elites that misuse of state resources will not go unpunished,” said one Colombo-based legal expert.
Aluthgamage’s legal troubles may be far from over. He is currently under investigation for authorizing a controversial payment of $6.09 million to a Chinese supplier in 2022 for a fertilizer shipment that was never delivered.
He also made headlines in 2020 when he accused Sri Lanka’s national cricket team of fixing the 2011 World Cup final in India’s favor—a claim that sparked a formal investigation but ultimately yielded no evidence. At the time, Aluthgamage said he had withheld the accusation for years, suggesting that “certain sections” were involved in the alleged match-fixing, though he did not implicate specific players.
Cricket officials and athletes from both Sri Lanka and India have repeatedly denied any wrongdoing related to the 2011 match.
Thursday’s sentencing is expected to reverberate throughout the island nation’s political landscape, as the Rajapaksa family continues to face intense scrutiny over alleged corruption, economic mismanagement, and abuse of power during their years in office.
By FCCT Editorial Team freeslots dinogame telegram营销
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