CA orders re-trial of Bathiudeen's Wilpattu case

The Court of Appeal today ordered a retrial of a case filed against Minister Rishad Bathiudeen and several others in 2015 over the deforestation of the Wilpattu National reserve.

Chairman of the Appeals Court Justice Yasantha Kodagoda ordered the case to be taken up from the 31 of July.

The case was filed before the Court of Appeal requesting an order to prevent the purported efforts by Minister Bathiudeen to re-settle persons on several acres of lands in the vicinity of Wilpattu.

Justices Janaka De Silva and Nissanka Bandula Karunaratne have been appointed to preside over the trial.

The initial trial was heard before Appeals Court Justice Mahinda Samayawardhena.The case concluded in September of 2018 however, NewsRadio Court Correspondent said the announcement of the verdict had been delayed on four occasions.