The Supreme Court has ordered the suspension of the verdict acquitting former Central Bank Governor Lakshman Arjuna Mahendran and ten defendants in the case assigned by the Attorney General regarding the Public Property Act. Sri Lanka Latest News
When an appeal filed by the Attorney General was called, Senior Additional Solicitor General President’s counsal Priyantha Navana presented the facts considered, by the panel of judges comprising Murdu Fernando, P. Padman Surasena, A. H. M. D. Nawaz, Shiran Gunaratne and Arjuna Obeysekera made the order.
The Supreme Court’s five-judge panel was scheduled to hear the Attorney General’s appeal on February 5 next year regarding an appeal filed by the Attorney General against the aforesaid order given by the Special High Court Appellate Court. The Supreme Court also issued a restraining order to the three-judge panel that gave the decision, preventing the investigation of other charges in the case.
Former Central Bank Governor Laxman Arjuna Mahendran, his son-in-law Arjun Aloysius, Perpetual Treasuries and the case against ten defendants including the directors and former Deputy Central Bank Governor Patthinige Samarasiri. Amal Ranaraja, the court considered a preliminary objection raised by the defence counsels that Perpetual Treasuries was not a natural person. The special three-judge panel consisting of Namal Bandara Balalle and Aditya Patabandige acquitted the defendants of the charges under the Public Property Act and decided to proceed with the trial regarding the rest of the charges.
