The Supreme Court has issued an interim injunction suspending an order issued by the Colombo High Court Trial-at-Bar for the release of 10 defendants including former Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) Arjuna Mahendran over the charges related to the Central Bank bond scam in 2016.

The Colombo High Court had ordered the release of the defendants in 2022, declaring that the relevant charges made against them under the Public Property Act could not be pursued.

While allowing the hearing of an appeal filed by the Attorney General against the orders issued by the Colombo High Court Trial-at-Bar in respect of the case this morning (07), the Supreme Court has also delivered another injunction preventing an ongoing lawsuit pertaining to the bond scam heard before the Trial-at-Bar.

The appeal was called before a five-member Supreme Court judge bench consisting of Justices Murdu Fernando, Preethi Padman Surasena, A.H.M.D. Nawaz, Shiran Gunaratne and Arjuna Obeysekara.

Appearing for the Attorney General, Senior Additional Solicitor General and President’s Counsel Priyantha Navana stated that the verdict in question issued by the Colombo High Court Trial-at-Bar that the charges filed under the Public Property Act cannot be pursued is erroneous.

Thus, the Attorney General had sought an order revoking the relevant High Court verdict.