Keheliya and Jayampathy discharged over bribery case

State Minister Keheliya Rambukwella and former State Printing Corporation Chairman Jayampathy Bandara have been released from the case filed by the Commission to Investigated Allegations of Bribery and Corruption on charges of misappropriating state funds.

The decision was announced today by Colombo Chief Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne following an order issued by the Colombo High Court.

The suspects were earlier accused of using Rs. 230,000 of the State Printing Corporation in 2012 to pay Mr Rambukwella’s personal mobile phone bill incurring losses to the government during the term of the previous United People’s Freedom Alliance government.

State Minister Rambukwella had then filed a petition before the High Court against the hearing of the case at the Magistrate’s Court, and subsequently the High Court determined that the case cannot be taken forward.

The Chief Magistrate discharging the suspects reiterated that the discharge was due to an error by the prosecution in filing the case and that a fresh case could be filed against the suspects.