The Court of Appeal today (26) ordered to consider former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s writ petition challenging a verdict issued by the Permanent High Court at Bar on May 06th.

The order was issued by the Appeals Court Judges Achala Wengappuli and Arjuna Obeysekara.

Representing Gotabaya Rajapaksa, President’s Counsel Romesh de Silva requested the court to set a date to consider the petition and accordingly, the Appeals Court ordered to take up the petition on May 06th.

The Attorney General had lodged a case before the Permanent High Court Trial at Bar against Gotabaya Rajapaksa for allegedly misappropriating state funds accumulating to Rs 33.9 million during the construction of D.A. Rajapaksa Museum.

However, the attorneys representing the defendants had presented preliminary objections stating that the Permanent High Court does not have the jurisdiction to hear the case.

In his petition, Gotabaya has said that the Permanent High Court had rejected his preliminary objections and set a date to hear the case.

The petitioner says that the Permanent High Court at Bar has also rejected the application for permission to appeal to the Supreme Court in this regard.

Hence, Gotabaya Rajapaksa has sought the Appeals Court to issue an order to void the verdict of the Permanent High Court at Bar and to suspend the hearing of the case until the final decision on the petition is delivered.