The Colombo High Court yesterday (24) ordered National People’s Power (NPP) Parliamentarian Vijitha Herath to appear before Court on 29 November to testify in connection with a bribery case filed during the tenure of the previous United National Front for Good Governance Government.

When the case which had been filed by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) against the former Chairperson of the Development Lotteries Board, Chandrawansa Pathiraja, was taken up in Court yesterday, the plaintiff, Herath was scheduled to testify. However, appearing on behalf of Herath, attorney-at-law Namal Rajapaksha requested for another date to testify, due to the fact that Herath was to be sworn in as a Member of the Cabinet of Ministers yesterday. The Court accepted the request and rescheduled Herath’s testimony for 29 November while ordering him to appear before the Court on the said date.

The CIABOC has filed the case accusing Pathiraja of causing a loss of Rs. 64 million to the Government through a 2010 agreement made with a private company for promotional activities of the National Lotteries Board.