On April 2, 2025, the Colombo High Court No. 01, presided over by Judge Adithya Patabendige, delivered a landmark verdict in a corruption case involving a high-ranking provincial official. S. M. Ranjith Samarakoon, the former Chief Minister of Sri Lanka’s North Central Province, was found guilty of corruption under Section 70 of the Bribery Act, alongside his former personal secretary.
The charges stemmed from misuse of public resources during Samarakoon’s tenure as Chief Minister, specifically the unlawful allocation of government fuel for the private use of his secretary’s vehicle. The court found that this action constituted a clear abuse of office and a breach of public trust.
Both Samarakoon and his secretary were convicted on two counts and handed down sentences of 16 years of rigorous imprisonment. In addition to the prison terms, the court imposed a fine of Rs. 200,000 on each accused, with the stipulation that failure to pay would result in an additional 2-year prison sentence.
The case was prosecuted by Deputy Director General Mr. Asitha Anthoney, representing the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), which has been at the forefront of Sri Lanka’s ongoing campaign to address institutional corruption.
This conviction marks another significant outcome in the country’s recent efforts to hold public officials accountable and strengthen governance at the provincial level. The severity of the sentence reflects the judiciary’s firm stance on the misuse of public resources and sets a precedent for similar cases moving forward.
By FCCT Editorial Team
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