A Brief Colonial History Of Ceylon(SriLanka)
Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations
A Brief Colonial History Of Ceylon(SriLanka)
Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations
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Thiranjala Weerasinghe sj.- One Island Two Nations
?????????????????????????????????????????????????Sunday, August 13, 2017
Order regarding preliminary objection fixed for Nov. 17
Corruption case against Gota and others:
The Colombo Chief Magistrate's Court yesterday fixed date for order
regarding the preliminary objection raised by former Defence Secretary
Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and seven others over Avant-Garde corruption case.
Accordingly, the corruption case filed by Bribery Commission against
Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and seven others for allegedly causing a Rs.11.4
billion unlawful loss to the government when giving permission to
Avant-Garde Maritime Services (Pvt.) Limited to operate a floating
armoury was yesterday fixed for November 17.
When the matter came up before the Colombo Additional Magistrate,
counsel appeared on behalf of the accused filed their written
submissions. The Bribery Commission was directed to submit its written
submissions yesterday itself.
The defence had raised a preliminary objections alleging that the
Bribery Commission Director General had filed this case without the
written sanction of the Bribery Commission. The defence moved Court that
case proceeding pertaining to the matter be terminated since the case
had been filed without the consent of the Bribery Commission. The
Defence Counsel further moved Court that the notices issued against the
accused be recalled since the notices were gone injuria (unlawfully).
Senior State Counsel Janaka Bandara appearing on behalf of the Bribery
Commission informed Court that the Bribery Commission had given its
consent to this legal action. He said the Director General of Bribery
Commission is vested with power to file cases in the Magistrate’s Court
in accordance with the Bribery Commission Act and a judgement issued by
the Court of Appeal.
When the matter came up before court, seven accused, former Defence
Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, Avant Garde Chairman Major Nissanka
Senadhipathi, former Navy Commanders Somatilleke Dissanayake, Jayanath
Kolambage and Jayantha Perera, Rtd. Major General Palitha Piyasiri
Fernando and Banda Adhikari were present in Courts.
The court had at a previous occasion allowed to proceed the case in
absentia of second accused Sujatha Damayanthi, former Additional
Secretary to the Defence Ministry.
The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption had
filed this case against eight accused under Section 70 of the Bribery
Act.
The Bribery Commission alleged that the accused had had given permission
to Avant-Garde Maritime Services (Pvt) Limited to operate a floating
armoury between August 7, 2012 and January 8, 2015 in violation of laws
by providing unlawful income to this private company, amounting to
Rs.11.4 billion.