Verdict on Gotabaya’s revision petition pushed to Aug. 30

The Court of Appeal has postponed until August 30 delivering its verdict on the revision petition filed by former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa seeking his acquittal from the charges in the Avant-Garde case filed by the Bribery Commission.

The verdict of the court on the revision petition was scheduled to be delivered by the Appeal Court judge-bench comprising Justices Achala Wengappuli and Arjuna Obeysekara.

However, the judge bench postponed the verdict to August 30 as the verdict has still not been prepared.

The Bribery Commission had filed a case with the Colombo Magistrate’s Court against the former Defense Secretary and eight defendants for incurring a loss of Rs 11.4 billion to the government by allegedly allowing Avant Garde Maritime Services (Pvt) Ltd to maintain a floating armoury at the Galle Fort.

The defendants of this case include Chairman of Avant Garde Nissanka Yapa Senadhipathi, former Additional Defense Secretary Damayanthi Jayaratne, and the former Coordinating Secretary of the Ministry of Defense, Major General Palitha Fernando.

Three former navy commanders Somathilaka Dissanayake, Jayanath Colombage and Jayanath Perera have also been named as defendants of the case.

However, the former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa filed a revision petition seeking a court order declaring the case illegal and to acquit him from all charges.