A Sri Lankan court on Thursday sentenced two former ministers from the government of deposed president Gotabaya Rajapaksa to decades in prison in a landmark corruption case. Ex-sports minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage and former trade minister Anil Fernando were found guilty by the Colombo High Court of misappropriating 53 million Sri Lankan rupees ($177,000) of state funds. The pair were also fined $2,000 for using government money to donate board games \u2014 including 14,000 carrom boards and 11,000 draughts sets \u2014 in an attempt to boost the failed 2015 re-election bid of Gotabaya\u2019s elder brother, Mahinda Rajapaksa. Aluthgamage was sentenced to 20 years in jail. Fernando was sentenced to 25 years. Aluthgamage is now the most senior member of a Rajapaksa-led cabinet to be successfully prosecuted for corruption. The cases against both men were initiated six years ago, when the Rajapaksa brothers were out of power, but the case had been making slow headway until a new government took office last year. Aluthgamage also faces a separate investigation into allegations that he authorised in 2022 a payment of $6.09m to a Chinese supplier for a fertiliser shipment that was never delivered. He caused a stir in 2020 when he accused Sri Lanka\u2019s national cricket team of rigging the 2011 World Cup final in favour of India, triggering an investigation that ultimately failed to substantiate his claims. Aluthgamage, who served as sports minister from 2010 to 2015, said in June 2020 that he had \u201cnot wanted to disclose\u201d the alleged match-fixing plot at the time. \u201cIn 2011, we were supposed to win, but we sold the match. I feel I can talk about it now. I am not implicating players, but certain sections were involved,\u201d he said. Sri Lanka lost the final at Mumbai\u2019s Wankhede Stadium by six wickets. Both Indian and Sri Lankan players have strongly denied any wrongdoing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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