Supreme Court stays Special HC’s trial against Gotabaya

The Supreme Court today (25) issued an order preventing trial at Special High Court against Gotabaya Rajapaksa over the D.A. Rajapaksa Museum case till the 1st of October, says Ada Derana reporter.

The order was delivered by the Supreme Court three-judge bench consisting of Justices Buwaneka Aluwihare, Gamini Amarasekara and S. Thurairajah considering an appeal filed by Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

The case against the former Defence Secretary and six others was filed by the Attorney General, for allegedly misappropriating state funds amounting to Rs 33.9 million during the construction of the D.A. Rajapaksa Museum and Memorial in Medamulana.

The Permanent High Court at Bar had rejected the preliminary objections filed by Gotabaya Rajapaksa stating that it does not have the jurisdiction to hear the case.

The former defence secretary then lodged a revision petition with the Court of Appeal seeking an order suspending the rejection of his appeal. However, the Appeals Court ruled that it does not have the jurisdiction to hear the revision petition, hence, rejected it without taking it up.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa then filed a special appeal petition with the Supreme Court challenging the Appeals Court verdict.

This special appeal petition was taken up before the Supreme Court three-judge bench today (25).

Considering the submissions by defence attorney President’s Counsel Romesh de Silva, the Supreme Court judge bench granted permission to hear the relevant petition.

Fixing the petition for support on October 1st, the Supreme Court judge bench issued an order preventing the hearing of the case filed before the Special High Court until the Supreme Court’s ruling is delivered.