Law & Order
Dilshan Tharaka
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The Attorney General yesterday made a pledge before the Supreme Court that he will not lead further evidence in the case filed in the Colombo High Court against former minister Patali Champika Ranawaka on the charges of careless driving and concealment of relevant evidence in 2016 in Rajagiriya area.
Additional Solicitor General Rohantha Abeysuriya appearing on behalf of the Attorney General made this pledge by agreeing not to lead the evidence until the appeal petition filed by the former minister seeking an order suspending the Colombo High Court from the hearing of the case of alleged motor accident that took place in 2016 at Rajagiriya, without hearing it.
The appeal petition was taken up before the three-judge Bench of the Supreme Court comprising Justices Murdu Fernando, Gamini Amarasekara and Achala Vengappuli. President’s Counsel Faiz Mustapha appearing for petitioner Ranawaka, stated that following the accident, several people had given evidence in this regard and at the time of the accident, it was not the minister who was driving the car and the evidence was revealed that his driver was driving the car.
Despite that, he pointed out that this case has been filed before the High Court after more than three years have passed since the incident took place.
Additional Solicitor General Rohantha Abeysuriya agreed not to conduct further evidence in the case filed against him before the Colombo High Court until the appeal filed by the petitioner is considered before the Supreme Court.
Petitioner Champika Ranawaka states that the Attorney General has filed a case against him in the Colombo High Court alleging that he concealed evidence and fabricated false evidence in an accident that allegedly took place in the Rajagiriya area in 2016.
The petitioner said that despite the preliminary objections raised by his counsels that the case could not be continued, the High Court Judge had ordered that it be dismissed and fixed for trial.
Ranawaka then filed an appeal petition in the Court of Appeal pointing out that the decision of the High Court Judge was contrary to the law and therefore the petitioner requested the Court of Appeal to issue an interim order suspending the High Court hearing. He also requested the court to release him from the relevant charges.
After considering the appeal petition , the Court of Appeal bench comprising Justices Menaka Wijesundara and Neil Iddawela ordered to dismiss the petition.
Following that, this appeal petition was filed in the Supreme Court against that Appellate Court decision.
Through this petition, petitioner Ranawaka has requested the court to issue an order suspending the High Court hearing the case filed by the Attorney General against him before the Colombo High Court.
The petition has also sought to set aside the orders given by the High Court and the Appellate Court against its claim.
Attorneys Keerthi Thilakaratne and Amarasiri Panditaratne with President’s Counsel Faiz Mustapha appeared for the petitioner Ranawaka.
Wednesday, July 13, 2022 – 01:10
