President’s Chief of Staff Gamini Senarath and the three defendants of the Litro Gas funds misappropriation case have withdrawn the appeal challenging two verdicts of the Permanent High Court of Trial-at-Bar.
The petition was taken up before the five-judge bench consisting of Supreme Court Justices Buwaneka Aluwihare, Sisira de Abrew, Piyantha Jayawardena, L.T.B. Dehideniya and Murdu Fernando this morning.
Speaking on behalf of the petitioners, President’s Counsels Ali Sabry and Gamini Marapana have requested the Supreme Court to grant permission to withdraw the petition, to which the judge bench accorded.
The Attorney General had filed the case against the defendants under the Public Property Act for allegedly misappropriating Rs 500 million funds belonging to Litro Gas Lanka by investing in ventures including the Helanko Hotels & Spa hotel project, from 1st of February 2014 to 20th January 2015.
The defendants had presented preliminary objections stating that the Special High Court does not have the jurisdiction to hear the case.
Subsequently, the defendants had filed an appeal against two verdicts issued by the Special High Court rejecting the objections of the defence.
