SC issues temporary travel ban on Mahinda and Basil

The Supreme Court today (July 15) issued a travel ban on former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and former Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa.

Accordingly, the two brothers are barred from flying out of the country until the 28th of July.

Yesterday, they had pledged before the Supreme Court, through their lawyers, that they would not leave the country until today.

A motion had been filed on July 13, seeking an order prohibiting former PM Mahinda Rajapaksa, former Minister Basil Rajapaksa, former Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal and several others from leaving the country.

The motion was submitted in relation to a fundamental rights petition filed by the former Chairman of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC) Chandra Jayaratne, requesting that an investigation be ordered against the individuals responsible for the current economic crisis.

The motion is taken up before a five-member bench consisting of Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya and Supreme Court Justices L.T.B. Dehideniya and Buwaneka Aluwihare, Priyantha Jayawardena and Vijith Malalgoda.