The Permanent High Court at Bar has decided to commence hearing the case filed against former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa over the D.A. Rajapaksa Museum, on the 19th of June.

The order was delivered by the Special HC three-judge bench comprising Judges Sampath Abeykoon, Sampath Wijeratne, and Champa Janaki Rajaratne this morning (23).

The Special High Court has granted the former Defence Secretary permission to travel abroad and temporarily lifted the overseas travel ban currently imposed on him, agreeing to the request made by the defence attorney, President’s Counsel Ali Sabry.

The defence attorney told the court that his client is required to travel abroad from 24th of May to 2nd of June, for a medical test and further treatment and sought the permission of the Special High Court in this regard.

Senior State Counsel Wasantha Perera has objected to the request made by the defence attorney, according to Ada Derana correspondent.

The Special High Court also issued summons on four defendants of the case to appear before the court on 19th of June.

The Attorney General had filed the case against the former Defence Secretary and six others for allegedly misappropriating state funds amounting to Rs 49 million during the construction of the D.A. Rajapaksa Museum and Memorial in Medamulana.

Former Chairman of Land Reclamation and Development Authority Prasad Harshana de Silva, former Director Board members of the authority Badrawathie Udulawathie Kamaladasa, Suddammika Keminda Attygalle, Saman Kumara Abraham Galapaththy, Dewage Mahinda Saliya and Srimathi Mallika Kumari Senadhira have been named as the other six defendants of the case.