Colombo High Court has sentenced Minister Prasanna Ranatunga for two years RI suspended for five years in the case threatening a businessman and allegedly extorting funds in a land dispute.

The Minister had been ordered to pay a fine of Rs 25 million & Rs 1 million compensation to the victim.

Announcing the verdict of a case filed in the Colombo High Court in connection with a case of extorting Rs. 64 million from a businessman, Minister Prasanna Ranatunga was found guilty by the Colombo High Court.

Colombo High Court Judge Manjula Thilakarathne ordered that the verdict in the case filed against Minister of Urban Development and Housing and Chief Government Whip Prasanna Ranatunga, his wife Maureen Ranatunga, and another suspect, in connection with the alleged attempt to extort Rs. 64 million from a businessman, be delivered on 6 June.

The hearing of the evidence of the plaintiff and the defendants in this case had been concluded earlier and the date for the judgement was fixed accordingly.

The suspects were accused of having threatened a businessman named Gerard Mendis and demanding Rs. 64 million in 2015 to evict unauthorised occupants of a land in the Meethotamulla area in Kolonnawa and to reclaim the said land.

Accordingly, Minister Prasanna Ranatunga was found guilty of the charge of signing a promissory note.