Former Minister Piyankara Jayaratne Sentenced to Seven Years for Corruption

Former Civil Aviation Minister Piyankara Jayaratne has been sentenced to seven years of rigorous imprisonment by the Colombo High Court. The conviction, handed down by Judge Mohamed Mihal, relates to a corruption charge filed by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC). Jayaratne was found guilty of influencing state-owned SriLankan Catering to pay Rs. 330,000 to a private hotel for food intended for political supporters during a rally. The sentence followed a lengthy trial where the court concluded the act caused a financial loss to the government and emphasized the need to deter such corruption.