By Former Minister A.H.M. Fowzie Sentenced for Misuse of Government Vehicle
The Colombo High Court has sentenced former Minister A.H.M. Fowzie to two years of rigorous imprisonment, with the sentence suspended for 10 years, following his guilty plea to charges of misusing a vehicle belonging to the Ministry of Disaster Management.The sentencing took place today (August 27) report.
In addition to the suspended prison sentence, the court also imposed a fine of Rs. 400,000 on the former minister. The charges against Fowzie stem from his possession and personal use of a luxury vehicle worth nearly Rs. 20 million, which had been received from the Netherlands for the Ministry of Disaster Management during his tenure as minister in 2010.
The former minister was found guilty of not only using the vehicle for personal purposes but also of persuading ministry officials, including the Ministry Secretary, to allocate nearly Rs. 1 million from the Finance Ministry’s funds for the vehicle’s maintenance. Despite these serious allegations, Fowzie chose to plead guilty through his attorney when the case was heard in court today.
High Court Judge Navaratne Marasinghe, who presided over the case, acknowledged the severity of the offenses, particularly given Fowzie’s extensive political career spanning 62 years. The judge emphasized that such actions from a senior politician cannot be taken lightly. However, taking into account Fowzie’s advanced age of 86 years and his decision to plead guilty at the initial stage, the court opted for a lenient sentence.
The Bribery Commission has filed this corruption case against Fowzie, accusing him of causing a Rs. 1.07 million unlawful loss to the government by misusing another vehicle belonging to the Disaster Management Centre between 2010 and 2015.
The Bribery Commission alleges that Fowzie unlawfully utilized a Land Cruiser Jeep, valued at Rs. 19.5 million, belonging to the Disaster Management Centre during his service as a Senior Minister from 2010 to 2015. The case highlights ongoing concerns about corruption and the misuse of government resources by public officials in Sri Lanka.
