The Appeal Court has postponed considering of the revision petition filed by former Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, requesting that eight defendants including himself be acquitted from the Avant Garde case, until May 31.

The petition was taken up today (25), before the President of the Court of Appeal Justice Preethi Padman Surasena and Justice Arjuna Obeysekara.

President of the Appeal Court stated at the open court that the case will be heard before a different panel of judges. Accordingly, it will be heard on the May 31.

The Bribery Commission had filed a case against 8 defendants including Gotabhaya Rajapaksa accusing them of causing Rs. 11.4 billion in losses to the government by allowing Avant Garde Maritime Services (Pvt) Ltd to maintain a floating armory.

Attorneys representing the former Defense Secretary had filed a revised petition with the High Court seeking a court order clearing them of the said charges.

The petition claimed that the Director General of the Bribery Commission had failed to obtain permission in writing from the commission before filing the case and that therefore it was unlawful.

However, he states that their revised petition was rejected by the Colombo High Court without being taken up for hearing.

Additionally, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa has also requested for a court order to temporarily suspend the hearing of the Avant Garde case before the Colombo Magistrate Court, until the hearing of the petition is concluded.