CA extends IO till 1 February staying HC trial against Basil

By S.S. Selvanayagam

The Court of Appeal yesterday (13) extended till 2 February 2018 the Interim Order staying the further proceedings of the Colombo High Court against the Accused Petitioner, Basil Rohana Rajapaksa.

Justice L.T.B. Dehideniya fixed the Writ Petition filed by Basil Rajapaksa seeking to transfer his case to another Colombo High Court.

Gamini Marapana PC with Navin Marapana, Kaushalya Molligoda appeared for Basil Rajapaksa. Additional Solicitor General Yasantha Kothagoda with Deputy Solicitor General Thusith Mudalige appeared for the Attorney General.

Petitioner states a relentless campaign of vilification is 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 Rajapakse despite his defeat at the January 2015 presidential election.

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

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