Former Minister Arjuna Ranatunga and the former Chairperson of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) Dhammika Ranatunga were served indictments before the Colombo High Court yesterday (23), on a corruption charge. 

The Court then ordered the defendants to be released on two surety bonds of Rs. 5 million each. The case was then ordered to be called for a pre-trial conference on 15 May. 

The defendants are accused of causing a loss of nearly Rs. 800 million to the CPC by canceling three long-term tenders that were scheduled to be used to purchase fuel for the country for a period of six months in 2017-2018 and instead arranging for 27 spot tenders to be implemented at higher prices, and of aiding and abetting in the same.