AG submits preliminary objections to Ravi’s writ application

The Attorney General has submitted the preliminary objections to the writ application filed by former Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake and three others, stated Ada Derana.

The relevant writ application was heard before a three-judge bench comprising of Justices A. H. M. D. Nawaz, Shiran Gunaratne and Sobhitha Rajakaruna, at the Court of Appeal today (11).

The writ application sought a court order to temporarily suspend the execution of the warrant issued for the arrest of Ravi Karunanayake and three others.

Deputy Solicitor General Milinda Gunatilleke, appearing on behalf of the Attorney General raised preliminary objections in court demanding that the application be dismissed without a hearing.

Pointing out that the petitioners had committed a legal error by failing to submit the letter containing the Attorney General’s instructions, the Deputy Solicitor stated that the court is unable to overturn the Attorney General’s instructions.

Preliminary objections pointed out that most relief sought by the petitioners are considered final relief which should be awarded at the end of the hearing and, therefore, the court cannot grant such relief as interim injunctions.

Further consideration of the application was postponed to tomorrow (March 12).

Earlier today, upon a motion from the Attorney General, the Court of Appeal appointed a three-judge bench to hear the writ application filed by the former Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake and three others.

Defense attorneys yesterday (10) filed a writ application before the Court of Appeal requesting the cancellation of the arrest warrant issued on Ravi Karunanayake, Perpetual Treasuries Limited (PTL) owner Arjun Aloysius and two others.

The writ application claimed that the Colombo Fort Magistrate issuing an arrest warrant on him based on the B report submitted to the bench by the police is against the law, hence sought the Appeals Court to revoke the warrant.

In addition to this, the appeal has requested the Appeals Court to deliver an order that revokes the instructions given by the Attorney General to the Acting Inspector General of Police asking him to obtain an arrest warrant against the former minister.

The writ application has further sought the Appeals Court to take the case away from the Colombo Fort magistrate.

The Attorney General, Director of the Criminal Investigation Department, Acting Inspector General of Police and several others have been named as the respondents of this writ application.

On 06 March, the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court issued warrants for the arrest of Karunanayake and 9 others over the Central Bank bond auctions of March 2016.

The Attorney General had directed the Acting IGP to obtain arrest warrants against several suspects in the Central Bank bond scam case including the former Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake, former Governor of the Central Bank Arjuna Mahendran, Perpetual Treasuries Limited (PTL) owner Arjun Aloysius, CEO Kasun Palisena, former Director of the Public Debt Department of the Central Bank T.H.B. Sarathchandra and several others on charges of conspiracy, criminal misappropriation, cheating, and market manipulation in respect of the bond auctions of March 2016.

The Colombo Fort Magistrate Ranga Dissanayake accordingly issued arrest warrants on ten suspects in the case, and, however, rejected the issuance of a warrant on the tenth suspect, Buddhika Sarathchandra.