Piliduwa Bogahawattage Chandima Dilhani Vs. The Hon. Attorney General – CA HCC 0096/2024-2025

This case involves an appeal by Piliduwa Bogahawattage Chandima Dilhani (Accused-Appellant) against a conviction and sentence for money laundering. The Appellant was indicted under Section 3(1) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act No. 05 of 2006 for depositing Rs.13,968,802.66, identified as proceeds of heroin trafficking. Upon pleading guilty, she was sentenced to 5 years rigorous imprisonment. The core legal issues revolved around whether this sentence was excessive and if mandatory minimum sentences, as stipulated by the Money Laundering Act, are unconstitutional, thereby curtailing judicial discretion. The Appellant’s counsel argued for judicial discretion to impose an appropriate punishment, citing Supreme Court precedents (SC Reference 03/2008, SC Appeal 17/2012). The Court of A