NDB ordered to give access to ex-CJ bank accounts

Tuesday, 5 August 2014 00:28 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Colombo High Court yesterday denied a request by the National Development Bank (NDB) for a stay order to prevent obtaining bank documents of former Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake. The bank had appealed against an earlier order by the Colombo Chief Magistrate to grant Bandaranayake’s legal counsel access to documents relevant to her case recorded in the computer system of the bank.

Colombo High Court Judge M.T.B. Morias dismissed the NDB’s request and ordered the bank to grant permission to counsel of the former Chief Justice with the assistance of computer experts to access bank documents and files relevant as evidence. Colombo Chief Magistrate Gihan Pilapitiya hearing the former Chief Justice’s case issued a same order to the relevant bank for the second time. He had on a previous hearing allowed computer experts to access Dr. Bandaranayake’s bank accounts at the NDB. Yesterday’s hearing at the Magistrate Court was suspended temporarily to allow the lawyers to participate in the hearing at the High Court on the petition filed by the bank requesting the stay order. The High Court rejected the bank’s petition based on the fact that the documents submitted by the Bribery or Corruption Commission were not valid. The Magistrate Court considered the case again and directed the bank to provide the former Chief Justice with the access to data related to evidence. The High Court upheld the Magistrate Court’s ruling and fixed further inquiry for 25 August.