Former Controller General of Immigration and Emigration, Harsha Ilukpitiya, has been sentenced to two years imprisonment for contempt of court.
Justice Yasantha Kodagoda made the order yesterday (23) with Justices Janak de Silva and Arjuna Obeyesekere agreeing.
Justice Kodagoda told the former official that the latter had committed a serious act of contempt against the judiciary.
During the previous government, the Cabinet-of-Ministers approved a proposal to outsource the electronic visa issuance process to two private companies. However, the Supreme Court later issued an interim injunction suspending the move and ordered the resumption of the previous visa issuance procedure.
In spite of the court order, Ilukpitiya continued with the controversial and disputed scheme.
Court determined that his actions had willfully disregarded the authority of the Supreme Court, warranting the sentence imposed.
