Nalin Fernando

Hon.
Nalin Fernando
නලින් ප‍්‍රනාන්දු
நளின் பெர்னாண்டோ
Minister of Trade, Commerce, and Food Security
In office
20 May 2022 – 23 September 2024
PresidentRanil Wickramasinghe
Prime MinisterDinesh Gunawardena
Preceded byShehan Semasinghe
Succeeded byHarini Amarasuriya
Member of the Parliament of Sri Lanka
In office
12 August 2020 – 24 September 2024
ConstituencyGampaha District
Personal details
Born
Kachchakaduge Nalin Ruwanjeewa Fernando

(1973-05-08) 8 May 1973 (age 51)
Political partySri Lanka Podujana Peramuna
Other political
affiliations		Sri Lanka People's Freedom Alliance
Alma materUniversity of Northampton

Kachchakaduge Nalin Ruwanjeewa Fernando (born 8 May 1973) is a Sri Lankan politician and a former Member of Parliament.[1]

Fernando was born on 8 May 1973.[1] He was educated at Joseph Vaz College.[2] He has a master's degree from the University of Northampton.[2] He has held various senior roles at state-owned organisations: Agricultural Products Marketing Authority (director), Ceylon Steel Corporation (director), Co-operative Wholesale Establishment (chairman), Lanka Sathosa (chairman), Paddy Marketing Board (director) and State Commercial (Cooperatives and Wholesale) Company (director).[2]

Fernando was arrested by the Financial Crimes Investigation Division in April 2018, as he attempted to leave Sri Lanka, in connection with the embezzlement of Rs. 39 million of state funds in the purchase of carom and checkers boards in 2014.[3][4] He was later released on bail.[5] In October 2019 a travel ban imposed on him but it was lifted in December 2019.[6][7]

Fernando contested the 2020 parliamentary election as a Sri Lanka People's Freedom Alliance electoral alliance candidate in Gampaha District and was elected to the Parliament of Sri Lanka.[8][9][10]

Electoral history of Nalin Fernando
Election Constituency Party Alliance Votes Result
2020 parliamentary[9] Gampaha District Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna Sri Lanka People's Freedom Alliance 69,800 Elected
  1. ^ a b "Directory of Members: Kachchakaduge Nalin Ruwanjiwa Fernando". Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, Sri Lanka: Parliament of Sri Lanka. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  2. ^ a b c "Get to know your new parliamentarians". The Sunday Times. Colombo, Sri Lanka. 9 August 2020. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  3. ^ Ariff, Yusuf (6 April 2018). "Former Sathosa Chairman arrested". Ada Derana. Colombo, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  4. ^ Dias, Keshala (6 April 2018). "Arrested Former Sathosa Chairman remanded". News First. Colombo, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  5. ^ "Former Lanka SATHOSA Chairman granted bail". Daily News. Colombo, Sri Lanka. 12 April 2018. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  6. ^ Tharaka, Dilshan (5 October 2019). "Travel ban on Mahindananda, former Sathosa Chairman". Daily News. Colombo, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  7. ^ "Overseas travel ban on former Sathosa chairman and Mahindananda Aluthgamage lifted". News First. Colombo, Sri Lanka. 16 December 2019. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  8. ^ "Part I : Section (I) — General - Government Notifications - Parliamentary Elections Act, No. 1 of 1981" (PDF). The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Extraordinary. No. 2187/26. Colombo, Sri Lanka. 8 August 2020. p. 2A. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  9. ^ a b "Nalaka Godahewa tops in Gampaha". The Daily Mirror. Colombo, Sri Lanka. 7 August 2020. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  10. ^ Parasuraman, Lakshme (9 August 2020). "Over 60 new faces in Parliament". Sunday Observer. Colombo, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 9 August 2020.