Supreme Court Orders Notices to Gotabaya and Others

COLOMBO (News 1st) - The Supreme Court today ordered that notices be issued to a group including former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

This order was given when a Fundamental Rights petition filed by Dr. Ravindranath Dabare was taken up for consideration.

The Supreme Court has directed the petitioner's lawyers to issue notices to a group including former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, in relation to a Fundamental Rights (FR) petition seeking an order to recover compensation allegedly paid unlawfully to former Ministers and MPs.

The petition concerns compensation granted for property damage incurred during the unrest following the attack on the "Aragalaya" protest site on May 09, 2022.

Accordingly, the court directed that notices be served to the following respondents named in the petition:

Former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa 

Former Defense Secretary Retired Major General Kamal Gunaratne

Former IGP C.D. Wickramaratne 

Former Navy Commander Nishantha Ulugetenne

Former Public Security Ministers Prasanna Ranatunga and Tiran Alles, and

Former Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security Jagath Alwis.

The petition was called before a Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena and Justice Gihan Kulatunga.