The Colombo High Court has scheduled the next hearing of a bribery case filed by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) against former Minister of Trade Johnston Fernando and two others for July 7, 2025.
The charges relate to allegations that Fernando, during his tenure as Minister of Trade, misused public resources by deploying employees of Lanka Sathosa for political activities, rather than their official duties—resulting in financial losses to the government.
The other two defendants in the case are Eraj Fernando, former Chairman of Sathosa, and Mohamed Zakir, former Coordinating Secretary to the Minister. All three were present in court during the latest hearing.
During the session, Merinnage Costa, a payroll officer at Sathosa, was cross-examined by the defense counsel. The court subsequently issued summons for additional witnesses to appear at the next hearing.
