Former Fisheries Minister Rajitha Senaratne has been indicted before the Colombo High Court on five charges of corruption in connection with alleged irregularities involving a project at the Kirinda Fisheries Harbour.
The charges relate to allegations that Senaratne, while serving as Fisheries Minister, exerted pressure on the Chairman of the Fisheries Corporation to select South Korean company Sea Woo Company Limited for a project involving the removal and sale of sand from the Kirinda Fisheries Harbour.
He is also accused of exerting pressure to lease the Fisheries Corporation-owned vessel Weligowwa for the project.
The alleged offences are said to have taken place between June 12 and August 6, 2012.
Colombo High Court Judge Mohamed Mihail referred the case for a pre-trial conference and granted bail to the former minister on two personal bonds of Rs. 1 million each.
The judge further ordered Senaratne to surrender his passport to Court and directed that the sureties provided for his bail be close relatives.
The indictment contains five charges under Section 70 of the Bribery Act relating to the offence of corruption.
The prosecution has named 13 individuals as witnesses and listed 25 documents as productions in support of the case.
