Sathosa case against ex-minister Johnston- Further hearing on March 18

The Colombo High Court has scheduled another hearing for the case against former Minister Johnston Fernando and two others, related to the use of ‘Sathosa’ employees for political purposes. This hearing will occur on March 18, 2026. Today, March 6, the case was discussed in front of Colombo High Court Judge Mohamed Mihal, according to Ada Derana. Johnston Fernando and Mohamed Shakir, the former Operational Director of Sathosa, are currently in remand custody for a different case and were brought to court by prison officials. After reviewing the information, the judge decided to delay the case until March 18 for further examination. The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) has charged Johnston Fernando, former Sathosa Chairman Eraj Fernando, and Mohamed Shakir. The charges claim that between 2010 and 2014, while Johnston Fernando was Trade Minister, he caused a financial loss to the government by assigning Sathosa employees to political tasks and taking them away from their official roles.