The Colombo High Court has ordered former Minister Prasanna Ranatunga, who was found guilty of accepting bribes in connection with granting permission to reclaim land during his tenure as the Chief Minister of the Western Province, to pay compensation of Rs. 1 million on or before July 6, 2027.
Colombo High Court Judge Udesh Ranatunga stated yesterday that if the compensation is not paid according to the court order, the accused will be sentenced to nine years in prison for violating the order issued by the Court of Appeal.
The lawyers representing Prasanna Ranatunga assured the court that the compensation would be paid according to the given schedule. Following this assurance, the accused was released.
The case was recently taken up for the implementation of the appeal decision filed against the Colombo High Court order, which had imposed a fine of Rs. 2.5 million and ordered the payment of Rs. 1 million as compensation to Prasanna Ranatunga, who was found guilty of demanding a ransom of Rs. 6.4 million from a businessman in the Meethotamulla area of Kolonnawa in exchange for granting permission to reclaim land.
The case was filed against former Minister Prasanna Ranatunga on April 10, 2015, over allegations that he demanded Rs. 6.4 million from businessman S. Christian Gihan Mendis of the Moratuwa area for granting permission to reclaim a land and accepted Rs. 1.5 million from the demanded amount.
Along with Prasanna Ranatunga, his wife Maurice Stella Ranatunga and Naren Kumar Farik were named as defendants, and the case was filed before the Colombo High Court under five indictments.
As the third defendant, Kumar Farik, failed to appear before the court, the trial was conducted in his absence under Section 241 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
