Supreme Court suspends hearing of Museum case against Gotabaya

The Supreme Court has issued an order preventing the DA Rajapaksa Museum case against Former Secretary of Defence Gotabaya Rajapaksa and six others, from being taken up for hearing before the Permanent High Court-at-Bar, until the 1st of October.

The Attorney General filed the case against the defendants before the Permanent High Court, charging them of misappropriating nearly Rs.34 million in state funds for the construction of the Museum.

However a fundamental objection filed by Gotabaya Rajapaksa claiming the Special High Court does not have jurisdiction to hear the case was rejected.

Accordingly Rajapaksa's Attorneys filed a revision petition at the Court of Appeal calling for Court to declare the rejection of the initial petition illegal.

However the Appeal Court also eventually dismissed the revision petition, stating that Court does not have legal authority to do so.

Subsequently Gotabaya Rajapaksa filed a special appeal at the Supreme Court objecting to the verdict of the Appeals Court.

Accordingly the Supreme Court decided to take up the appeal for hearing and therefore issued an order today temporarily preventing the Permanent High Court's Trial-at-Bar from hearing the case which was due to commence tomorrow.

The petition will accordingly be taken up for hearing on the 1st of October.