The Colombo High Court has sentenced former deputy minister Myown Mustapha to six months in prison for trying to buy out National Freedom Front’s Mohammed Muzammil to support 2010 presidential election candidate Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka.
Further, Mustapha’s civic rights were also suspended for seven years.
The case was called before Colombo High Court Judge Aditya Patabendige on Friday (Feb 17).
On January 15, 2010, Muzammil, who convened a media briefing, disclosed that Mustapha had attempted to bribe him with a sum of Rs. 42 million to back Fonseka in the 2010 presidential election.
Following a lengthy trial, the Colombo High Court delivered the verdict of the case, 13 years after indictments were filed against Mustapha by then-Attorney General.
Delivering the verdict, the high court judge stated that the charges against the accused have been proven beyond a reasonable doubt after taking into consideration the telephone conversations, voice recordings and CCTV footage submitted as evidence in the case.
He also expressed regret about not being able to impose a severe punishment on the accused despite the severity of the offence he has committed.