The Permanent High Court at Bar has moved the hearing the D.A. Rajapaksa Museum case, filed against former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa and six others, to August 30 as the Supreme Court has issued an order preventing the hearing of the evidence of case temporarily.
The case was taken up before the Special High Court three-judge bench consisting of Judges Sampath Abeykoon, Sampath Wijeratne and Champa Janaki Rajaratne today (26).
Deputy Solicitor General Dileepa Peiris and President’s Counsel Ali Sabry, speaking on behalf of the prosecution and the defence respectively, told the Special High Court that the Supreme Court delivered an order preventing the hearing of the evidence of trial against the former defence secretary until the 1st of October.
The Supreme Court yesterday (25) took up the special appeal petition filed by Gotabaya Rajapaksa challenging a verdict delivered by the Appeals Court.
The deputy solicitor general told the Special High Court that the Supreme Court has not suspended the hearing of the case, but temporarily prevented the hearing of further evidence in the case.
The Attorney General has suggested amending the seven charges filed against the defendants to six, the deputy solicitor general further informed the Special High Court.
The Attorney General had agreed on it when the special appeal petition by Gotabaya Rajapaksa was taken up by the Supreme Court yesterday, he continued.
Accordingly, the Special High Court ordered to take up the case again on August 30th and ordered the defence attorneys to inform their stance on the amendment of charges.
The case against the former Defence Secretary and six others was filed by the Attorney General under Article 388 of the Penal Code Ordinance and the Article 5(1) of Public Property Act, for allegedly misappropriating state funds amounting to Rs 33.9 million during the construction of the D.A. Rajapaksa Museum and Memorial in Medamulana.
Land Reclamation and Development Authority’s former Chairman Prasad Harshana de Silva, former Director Board members Badrawathie Udulawathie Kamaladasa, Suddammika Keminda Attygalle, Saman Kumara Abraham Galapaththy, Dewage Mahinda Saliya and Srimathi Mallika Kumari Senadhira area the other defendants in the case.
