June 16, Colombo (LNW): The Court of Appeal has concluded proceedings relating to a petition filed by Yoshitha Rajapaksa, the son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, in which he seeks to have a conspiracy allegation against him struck out from an ongoing money laundering case.
Following submissions from both parties, the appellate court announced that its determination on the matter will be delivered on July 03.
Rajapaksa’s case was presented by Attorney Hafiel Faris, who argued that the conspiracy charge included in the indictment lacks a valid legal basis and should not proceed. Representing the Attorney General, Deputy Solicitor General Janaka Bandara urged the court to reject the application and allow the charge to remain before the trial court.
The matter was heard before a two-judge bench comprising Justices Amal Ranaraja and Dr Sumudu Premachandra, who listened to extensive arguments before reserving their order.
At the centre of the dispute is the applicability of a conspiracy allegation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. Rajapaksa’s legal team maintains that the charge is not sustainable under the existing legal framework, while the prosecution contends that the indictment has been properly instituted.