The Colombo High Court Trial-at-Bar has released 10 defendants including former minister Ravi Karunanayake from 11 charges out of the 22 in the case filed over the Central Bank bond scam in 2016.

The case pertaining to criminal misappropriation of bonds valued at Rs. 15 billion during the Central Bank’s treasury bond auction held between March 29 and March 31, 2016 was taken up before a Trial-at-Bar comprising Amal Ranaraja, Namal Balalle, and Aditya Patabendige.

Raising preliminary objection related to the case, attorneys representing the defendants had previously stated that the relevant charges could not be pursued against the defendants and therefore requested the court to release them from these charges. 

Delivering its decisions today (06) on the preliminary objections, High Court judge Aditya Patabendige stated that 11 of the charges against the defendants cannot be pursued and released them from those charges. 

Appearing on behalf of the Attorney General, the Additional Solicitor General Priyantha Nawana stated that out of the 22 charges filed by the plaintiff, the court had decided to release the accused from 11 charges. 

He also requested the court to provide a date to decide whether the charge sheet filed against the accused will be amended or withdrawn or if alternate legal action would be pursued.   

Accordingly, the case was postponed until January 26, 2022.