The case filed against former Defense Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa and six others over the alleged misappropriation of state funds when constructing the D.A. Rajapaksa Museum has been postponed to January 11.

The case was taken up before the Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar Justices Sampath Abeykoon, Sampath Wijeratne and Champa Janaki Rajaratne this morning (03).

Representing the defendant Gotabaya Rajapaksa, President’s Counsel Ali Sabry informed the court that the prosecution has not submitted several documents required for the establishment of the defense statement yet.

Accordingly, the judge-bench informed the prosecution to hand over the relevant documents to the defense and ordered to take up the case again on January 11 to enquire if the defense has received the required documents properly.

The defense attorney informed the court that his client former Defense Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa could not appear before the judge-bench today as he has travelled overseas, in accordance with permission obtained during a previous hearing.

He further stated that Gotabaya Rajapaksa would attend the next hearing.

Former Chairman of Land Reclamation and Development Authority’s Prasad Harshana de Silva and the former members of the board of directors of the Authority Bhadrawathi Kamaladasa, Sudhammika Atigala, Saman Kumara Galappatti, D. Mendis Saliya and Mallika Kumari Senadheera have been named as the other defendants of this case.

The case was filed by the Attorney General against the former Defense Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa for violating the Public Property Act by allegedly misappropriating state funds of Rs 33.9 million belonging to the Land Reclamation and Development Authority for the establishment of D.A. Rajapaksa Museum.