Colombo High Court Judge Amal Ranaraja today sentenced former Galle Magistrate DS Meringchiarachchi to 10 years imprisonment with hard labour, who was accused of under-recording the fines charged for alcohol tax offences.
Thus, she was sentenced to prison in two cases where she was found to have committed an offence under the Public Property Act. That is 05 years for each case.
Colombo High Court Judge Amal Ranaraja also issued an open warrant for the arrest and production to the court of the defendant Merinchiarachchi who is currently avoiding the court.
In addition to the prison sentence, the High Court judge also imposed a fine of Rs. 22,500 on her.
Under the Public Property Act, the Attorney General had filed this case against her accusing her of criminal breach of trust with public funds for recording a fine of Rs. 7,500 as Rs. 1,500 in an excise case and a fine of Rs. 5,000 as Rs. 1,500 in another case, between 04th and 05th of April 2000.
The case was tried without the accused as she was absent from court.
After a lengthy trial, it was decided that the charges against the accused have been proved beyond reasonable doubt and this verdict was announced against her.
