CA dismisses Basil Rajapaksa’s petition to transfer case

By S. S. Selvanayagam

The Court of Appeal yesterday dismissed without costs the petition filed by Basil Rajapaksa seeking to transfer his High Court proceedings to another Colombo High Court  

The Bench comprised Justices A. L. S. Gooneratne and Mahinda Samayawardhana. 

The Petitioner stated a relentless campaign of vilification was being carried on by certain elements of the present Government, demanding the launching of investigation and cases as well as carrying out of arrests and the remanding of certain family members and close allies of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa despite his defeat at the January 2015 Presidential Election.

He stated the former President’s sons Namal Rajapaksa and Yoshitha Rajapaksa, his wife Shiranthi Rajapaksa as well as his brother former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa and himself and his political allies had been subjected to numerous investigations and cases.

He stated that he and the former President’s two elder sons had been arrested and produced before numerous Magistrate’s Courts and/or remanded on multiple occasions over the past two years.

Gamini Marapana PC with Navin Marapana PC, Kaushalya Molligoda and Uchitha Wickremasinghe appeared for the Accused – Petitioner Basil Rajapaksa. Deputy Solicitor General Sudharshan de Silva with Deputy Solicitor General Thusith Mudalige appeared for the Respondents.