The Court of Appeal yesterday extended its Interim Order staying any further proceeding into the controversial almanac case before High Court Judge Gihan Kulatunga, until February 2.
Court of Appeal (President) Justice L.T.B. Dehideniya made this order consequent to a Transfer Application filed by former Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa seeking an order staying any further proceedings into the almanac case heard before Colombo High Court Judge Gihan Kulatunga.
Rajapaksa has sought an order transferring the case from the Colombo High Court presided over by High Court Judge Gihan Kulatunga to any other court of the High Court of Colombo.
Judge Kulatunga also delivered the judgement regarding the controversial Sil Redi (fabrics used by devotees to observe sil) distribution case. Former Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunge and former Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) Director General Anusha Palpita were sentenced to three years’ rigorous imprisonment by the Colombo High Court for misappropriating Rs. 600 million of funds belonging to the TRC.
In his petition, Basil Rajapaksa stated that High Court Judge Gihan Kulatunga was a member of Presidential Commission (PRECIFAC) which initiated an inquiry against him.
He further stated that one of the primary grounds on which the proceedings before PRECIFAC are sought to be challenged by him before the Court of Appeal complaining that he was denied a fair hearing at the purported inquiry by the PRECIFAC.
On November 15, the High Court case against two accused including former Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa for allegedly misappropriating Rs. 29.4 million of funds belonging to Divi Neguma Department was fixed for trial to be heard on a day-to-day basis beginning from November 24 by Judge Gihan Kulatunga.
The Attorney General had filed indictments against former Minister and former Director General of Divi Neguma Department Kithsiri Ranawaka in the Colombo High Court for allegedly printing five million almanacs with the image of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, costing Rs. 29.4 million, to be used as election propaganda material during January 2015 Presidential Election.
President’s Counsel Gamini Marapana with Counsel Navin Marapana, Kaushalya Molligoda instructed by Sanath Wijewardena appeared for Basil Rajapaksa.
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