Central Provincial Council Chairman Mahinda Abeykoon was sentenced to two and a half years of imprisonment by Kandy High Court for an event that took place more than 13 years ago.

He was accused of several charges pertaining to his illegal entry into a polling booth during the General Election on December 5, 2001. The charges included unlawful assembly, illegal entry and breaking election law among others.

The incident took place at a polling booth in Lower Hewaheta in Kandy District.

Fourteen individuals were originally charged in this case but two had died before the final verdict was given. The other 11 were released due to lack of evidence.

Abeykoon, the SLFP Chief Organizer in Lower Hewaheta, was elected to the Central Provincial Council in 2013 from Kandy District under the UPFA ticket. He was elected as Provincial Council Chairman on October 9, 2013, after a close election against M.D. Nimalsiri.