The Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal filed by former Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake in connection with a bribery case involving the payment of rent by Arjun Aloysius.
Karunanayake had challenged a case filed by the Bribery Commission before the Colombo High Court, which alleged that he lived in a luxury apartment during his tenure as Finance Minister, with the rent paid by Aloysius.
The apartment’s monthly rent was Rs. 1.45 million, and Aloysius is said to have paid rent for eight months on Karunanayake’s behalf.
As a result, the Bribery Commission filed indictments against Karunanayake under the Bribery Act.
His legal team argued that the charges were not maintainable against a minister under the Act, but the Colombo High Court dismissed that claim.
Karunanayake subsequently appealed to the Supreme Court, seeking to overturn the High Court’s ruling.
However, the Supreme Court ruled that an appeal can only be considered after a conviction, and therefore dismissed Karunanayake’s petition.
This decision clears the way for the bribery case to proceed before the Colombo High Court.
