Pledge to court by Mahinda, Basil, Cabraal

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, former Minister of Finance Basil Rajapaksa and former Secretary of the Ministry of Finance SR Artigala have given a pledge to the Supreme Court through their lawyers that they will not travel abroad until tomorrow.

The lawyers who represented the group named as respondents gave this pledge when the petition filed today calling for an investigation against those responsible for the current economic crisis was taken up in court.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court also issued an order preventing former Central Bank Governor W.D. Laxman, who is named as another respondent in this petition, from going abroad until tomorrow due to the absence of a lawyer to represent him.

This order was issued after the motion related to this petition was taken up for consideration before the five-member Supreme Court bench comprising Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya, Bhuvaneka Aluvihare, Priyantha Jayawardena, Vijith Malalgoda and L.T.B. Dehideniya.

The former president of the Sri Lanka Chamber of Commerce Chandra Jayaratne had filed this petition requesting that an investigation be ordered against those responsible for the current economic crisis.
Meanwhile, former Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal also pledged before the Supreme Court today (14) that he had no requirement to travel abroad and if a need arises, he will obtain the approval of the Supreme Court.

Cabral gave this assurance to the court through his lawyers.