Ex-Minister Jayakody Denies Charges Over Rs. 8.8 Mn Procurement Loss

COLOMBO (News 1st); The hearing of the case filed against former Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody over allegations of causing a loss to the government by manipulating procurement procedures to favour a private company in awarding a carpet-laying contract at the Lanka Fertilizer Company warehouse premises in 2016 began today before the Colombo High Court.

The proceedings were held before High Court Judge Rashantha Godawela.

During the hearing, the two indictments filed against the accused former Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody were read out in open court.

The accused subsequently entered a plea of not guilty to the charges against him.

Accordingly, the trial of the case was commenced.

The Bribery Commission has filed this case against the accused, alleging that while serving as the Procurement Manager of the Lanka Fertilizer Company in 2016, he manipulated procurement procedures in awarding a carpet-laying contract at the company’s warehouse premises in a manner that provided an undue advantage to a private company, thereby causing a loss of Rs. 8,859,708 to the state.

The Bribery Commission has further charged the accused under Section 70 of the Bribery Act for committing the offence of “corruption.”