June 20, Colombo (LNW): Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe has unveiled instances of corruption involving lower court judges in Sri Lanka, bringing to light several troubling activities during a parliamentary address on Wednesday (19).
Rajapakshe disclosed that an illegal electricity connection had been discovered at the official residence of the Mount Lavinia Magistrate.
He stated that the electricity supply, intended for court premises, had been tampered with to power the magistrate’s residence illicitly.
This was uncovered when an electrician from the Justice Ministry was electrocuted while inspecting the power line but was rescued with considerable effort.
Further investigations revealed that the water supply to the magistrate’s residence had also been illegally connected, with bills being covered by the court’s accounts.
In another instance, Minister Rajapakshe brought attention to a complaint regarding the disappearance of whiskey valued at Rs. 200 million from court-seized goods at the Colombo Magistrate’s Court.
The incident allegedly occurred while a former justice was present. Contrary to initial claims of theft, the Government Analyst’s report indicated that the items had not been stolen but that someone had accessed the storage room using a key.
Minister Rajapakshe criticised the Judicial Services Commission for its inadequate investigation and lack of legal action concerning these corrupt practices.
He emphasised that his own efforts to address these issues have been largely unsuccessful and stressed the urgent need to eliminate such corruption within the judiciary.
