The Court of Appeal on Tuesday again extended the interim injunction issued earlier preventing police from taking legal actions against former Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa under Public Property Act.
The two-judge bench of Appeal Court Chairman Preethi Padman Surasena and Justice Shiran Gunaratne extended the stay order until 23rd March when they considered the writ petition filed by Gotabhaya Rajapaksa today.
The Financial Crime Investigations Division (FCID) has filed a case charging that Gotabhaya Rajapaksa has committed an offense under the Public Property Act in constructing the Museum and Memorial in Medamulana using public funds amounting to Rs.90 million.
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Gotabhaya Rajapaksa had filed a writ petition with the Court of Appeal seeking an interim order preventing the police from arresting him.
The petitioner says the certificate issued by the FCID under section 8(1) of the offences against the Public Property violates the law and requested the court to issue a writ voiding it.
The former defense secretary says the FCID issued the certificate with the intention of remanding him adding that there are no adequate points to bring such an allegation against him.
Therefore, he has appealed to the Court of Appeal to issue a writ order to nullify the relevant certificate issued by the FCID under the Public Property Act.
The court postponed further hearing of the case until 22nd March and extended the stay order until 23rd March.
A stay order was issued on the Financial Crimes Investigation Department (FCID) preventing any action against former Secretary of Defense on November 29, 2017. It was later extended till February 15, 2018 and again until February 28, 2018.
