Colombo: Sri Lanka sentenced a former deputy minister to 16 years in prison for graft on Tuesday, as it intensifies a corruption crackdown after the toppling of its powerful political clan.
Sarana Gunawardena, who served as a junior minister under former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, is the latest member of the ousted Rajapaksa administration to be jailed this year.
He was convicted of four separate charges and was sentenced to four years on each count to be served consecutively for a total of 16 years in jail, a court official said.
Sarana Gunawardena was charged with financial misconduct for pocketing kickbacks from vendors after overpaying them 11.5 million rupees ($115,000 at the time) for renting vehicles and buildings nearly two decades ago.
The High Court rejected appeals by Gunawardena's lawyers for leniency and said that a jail sentence was necessary to deter public sector corruption.
It also fined him 1.8 million rupees.
Gunawardena is the latest member of the Rajapaksa administration to be jailed in the past year, following the imprisonment of former ministers Mahindananda Aluthgamage and Nalin Fernando, who received lengthy prison terms ranging from 20 to 25 years.
