Supreme Court prevents hearing of case against former CJ

The Supreme Court has issued a stay order preventing the Colombo Magistrate’s Court from hearing the case filed by the Bribery Commission against former Chief Justice Mohan Peiris. 

In  connection with an investigation conducted by the CID pertaining to certain financial irregularities which had occurred in the Lanka Electricity Co. Pvt Ltd (LECO), the Bribery Commission filed a case in the Magistrate Court of Colombo on Jan. 18 against Abdul Hammed Mohamed Dhilip Nawaz a  former Deputy Solicitor General of the Attorney General’s Department who is presently sitting as a Judge of the Court of Appeal , Mr Peter Mohan Maithree Peiris former Attorney General and former Chief Justice and Mr M.M. Charles Ferdinando former Secretary to the Ministry of Power and Energy, for offences which fall under sec 70 of the Bribery Act.

The Colombo Chief Magistrate had issued notice on the three defendants named in the charge sheet, presented by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption, to appear before the court on March 08.

As per the charge sheet, two investigative committees had made recommendations that irregularities had taken place when purchasing properties for the Lanka Electricity Company (Private) Limited.

It also alleged that by preventing legal action from being taken despite the findings of the committees, the then Chief Justice Mohan Peiris and then Solicitor General A. H. M. D. Nawaz had committed a crime under the Bribery Act.

The Bribery Commission has also named 20 witnesses and 19 exhibits in the charge sheet.