Avant-Garde: CoA permits to consider appeal filed by Gotabaya

Colombo (News 1st): The Court of Appeal permitted to consider the appeal filed by Gotabaya Rajapaksa challenging the case filed over the Avant-Garde matter. The case against Rajapaksa was filed by the Bribery Commission. The Court of Appeal today (September 12) accepted facts presented by Counsel appearing for Gotabaya Rajapaksa who claimed the case filed at the Colombo Chief Magistrate's Court by the Bribery Commission was done without written approval from the Commissioners of the Bribery Commission, and therefore filing such a case was illegal. Thereby, the Bribery Commission will not be able to continue with the case filed against Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the other suspects named in the case. Based on today's ruling by the Court of Appeal, the order given by the Colombo Chief Magistrate's Court dismissing the preliminary objections raised by Counsel for Rajapaksa and the order given by the Colombo High Court dismissing the revision application challenging the Chief Magistrate's order will be now be termed as invalid. The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption filed a case against 08 people including Gotabaya Rajapaksa accusing them of causing a loss of Rs 11.4 billion to the Government by permitting Avant-Garde Maritime Services to operate a floating armoury. Earlier, the Court of Appeal when considering the petition filed by Gotabaya Rajapaksa issued an interim injunction preventing any further action from being taken regarding the case filed at the Magistrate's Court.