The Court of Appeal today extended the stay order issued on the FCID, preventing it from taking action on former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa under the Public Property Act, until July 3. 

Granting leave to proceed with the petition filed by the former Defence Secretary, the judge bench comprising Appeal Court chairman Preethi Padman Surasena and Justice Shiran Gunaratne ordered the stay order extended. 

However, the stay order will have no affect on the investigations being carried out with regard to the case, the court said in its decision. 

The petition is to be taken up for hearing on July 2 while the court also called for objections to be presented if any. 

The stay order was initially issued on November 27 last year preventing the Financial Crimes Investigations Division (FCID) from arresting Rajapaksa under the Public Property Act while the Attorney General had requested that the order be removed. 

However, the Court of Appeal stated there sufficient reasons to extend the stay order. 

The FCID had lodged a case against the former Defence Secretary for the misappropriation of public funds for the construction of the D.A. Rajapaksa museum under the Public Properties Act. 

Rajapaksa had filed a writ petition with the Court of Appeal seeking an interim order preventing the police from arresting him.