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The Colombo Magistrate’s Court yesterday re-issued summons on former Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal to appear before Court on May 2.
The Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court also further extended its order preventing former Central Bank Governor Cabraal from leaving the country until that day.
On April 7, the Court had issued notices directing Cabraal to appear in Court yesterday and Cabraal was not present.
However, Attorney-at-Law Jeewantha Jayatillake appearing for Cabraal informed the Court that he intends to make preliminary objections over the personal complaint.
Considering the circumstances, Colombo Additional Magistrate Harshana Kekunawala ordered the re-issue notices on former Central Bank Governor to appear in court on May 2.
Colombo Additional Magistrate Harshana Kekunawala made this order pursuant to an application filed by former Southern Province Governor Rajith Keerthi Thennakoon over former Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal for allgedly misusing public funds during his tenure as the Governor of the Central Bank.
Complaints against me are baseless, malicious – Cabraal
Former Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal in a statement yesterday said that the complaints against him are baseless and malicious.
Full statement: “In accordance with the Summons issued to me in Case No: 68647/4 by the Registrar of the Colombo Magistrate Court, I was ordered to tender an appearance through my Registered Attorney and to move to file an answer in Court on 18th April 2022.
The said Summons was issued to me in terms of the Civil Procedure Code and I had also been informed that if I am not represented by a registered Attorney, I should furnish a communication to Court, specifying an address to which all legal notices should be addressed in the future.
Jeevantha Jayatilake, Senior Attorney at Law appearing on my behalf in Court explained the nature of the Summons that I have received and further informed Court that my personal appearance has been dispensed with, in terms of the Summons.
I have also been advised by my lawyers that, in terms of Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, the Honourable Magistrate has the discretion and the power to dispense with the personal appearance of a party summoned to Court.
Further, my Senior Attorney at Law informed the Court that I have no intention to travel overseas at this stage, and therefore, I did not require any application to be made to vacate the overseas travel ban. Nevertheless, my Lawyers stated that they reserve the right to make an application pertaining to the travel ban at the appropriate stage if a need arises for me to travel abroad. Accordingly, the Honourable Magistrate had re-fixed the Case for May 2, 2022.
With regard to the several allegations made against me in the above Plaint, I wish to state that the said complaints are baseless and/or malicious and presented to Court by suppressing important material facts and all steps will be taken legally to refute them and present the correct facts to Court.
Tuesday, April 19, 2022 – 01:10
