HC dismisses Welgama’s revision application

Friday, 13 September 2019 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

By T. Farook Thajudeen

The Colombo High Court (HC) yesterday dismissed the revision application of former UPFA Parliamentarian and former Transport Minister Kumar Welgama.

Kumara Welgama

Former MP Kumara Welgama made this revision application in the Colombo HC against an order of the Colombo Chief Magistrate made in the corruption case filed against him by the Commission to Investigate Allegation of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC).

HC Judge Gihan Kulatunge delivered his order after considering the written submissions made by Kumara Welgama’s counsel and the CIABOC on 5 September.

Welgama had filed the revision application in the HC to set aside an order of the Colombo Chief Magistrate refusing to dismiss a corruption case filed by CIABOC against him for causing an unlawful loss to the Government by appointing L.A. Wimalaratne as the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) Deputy Chairman on 23 June 2010 while Welgama was Transport Minister.At the outset of the inquiry by the Magistrate’s Court, Welgama’s counsel contended that the magistrate had no jurisdiction to hear the case and to dismiss it. However, the magistrate overruled the defence stance and fixed the case for trial. Hence, Welgama sought the HC to set aside the Magistrate’s ruling by a revision application.

The CIABOC had charged Welgama in the Magistrate’s Court for causing an unlawful loss of Rs. 3.2 million to the Government through the appointment of a Deputy Chairman to SLTB contrary to the Transport Board Act.

The Commission had filed the case under Section 70 of the Bribery Act on three charges alleging that the former Minister had unlawfully appointed L.A. Wimalaratne as the SLTB Deputy Chairman on 23 June 2010.