The Court of Appeal yesterday further extended its Interim Order staying any further proceeding into the controversial almanac case heard before Colombo High Court Judge Gihan Kulatunga currently presiding over Court No.6 until May 10.
Court of Appeal President Justice Preethi Padman Surasena and Justice Shiran Goonaratne made this order consequent to a Transfer Application filed by former Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa. Rajapaksa sought an order staying any further proceedings into the almanac case heard before Colombo High Court Judge Gihan Kulatunga.
The Court was informed that the Attorney General had already filed objections against the interim order.
Rajapaksa was directed to file his counter objections before April 6.
Rajapaksa has sought an order transferring the case from Colombo High Court presided over by High Court Judge Gihan Kulatunga to any other High Court of Colombo.
Judge Kulatunga also delivered the judgment regarding the Controversial Sil Redi (fabrics used by devotees to observe sil) distribution case.
Former Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunge and former Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) Director General Anusha Palpita were sentenced to three years rigorous imprisonment by the Colombo High Court for misappropriating Rs. 600 million of funds belonging to TRC.
In his petition, Basil Rajapaksa stated that High Court Judge Gihan Kulatunga was a member of Presidential Commission (PRECIFAC) which initiated an inquiry against him.
He further stated that one of the primary grounds on which the proceedings before PRECIFAC are sought to be challenged by him before the Court of Appeal complaining that he was denied a fair hearing at the purported inquiry by the PRECIFAC.
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