Sri Lanka, May 29 -- A three-judge bench of the High Court today sentenced former Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment.

He was sentenced after finding him guilty of causing a financial loss to the government exceeding Rs. 53 million.

Between September and December 2014, carrom and checker boards imported by the Sathosa institution in Colombo were allegedly distributed to sports clubs for political purposes during the previous presidential election period.

Before the verdict was delivered, the counsel representing the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) informed the court that the accused had abused the powers of their official positions and committed wrongful...