Tuesday Oct 20, 2026
Tuesday Oct 20, 2026
Monday, 19 October 2026 05:10 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The Supreme Court has granted special leave to appeal to former People’s Alliance Deputy Minister Shantha Premaratne, who is challenging his conviction for accepting a Rs. 50,000 bribe to secure employment for a supporter’s son-in-law at the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB).
A three-judge bench comprising Justices Achala Wengappuli, Arjuna Obeysekara, and Gihan Kulathunga granted leave on the question of whether the evidence presented at the trial established the offence for which Premaratne was convicted.
Premaratne was convicted by the Colombo High Court in 2017 and sentenced to eight years’ rigorous imprisonment, with the sentences to run concurrently. The Court of Appeal upheld the conviction in November 2024, prompting him to appeal to the Supreme Court.
The bribery allegation relates to an incident said to have occurred in December 2007, when Premaratne was serving as the Sri Lanka Freedom Party’s (SLFP) Ampara District Leader and Party Organiser. He was accused of accepting Rs. 50,000 from a party supporter in return for arranging employment for her son-in-law at the CEB. Premaratne maintained that the money received was part of donations made by party members towards the construction of the party headquarters in Ampara. He contended that the building had been constructed with the blessings of the party leadership in Colombo.
He also claimed that the complaints against him were instigated by political rivals following his defeat at the 2008 Provincial Council Election and defections from the United National Party (UNP) to the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) at the time.
Premaratne served as a Deputy Minister under the Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga-led People’s Alliance Governments between 1994 and 2001, holding portfolios including Tourism and Aviation, Irrigation and Water Resources Management, and Plan Implementation and Parliamentary Affairs. He lost his parliamentary seat in 2001 and was subsequently appointed the SLFP’s Ampara District Leader and Party Organiser in 2005.
Counsel Hafeel Farisz, instructed by Sanjeewa Kodithuwakku, appeared for Premaratne, while Additional Director General Ruvini Wickramasinghe appeared for the Bribery Commission.
