(COLOMBO, LANKAPUVATH) –Former Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake has filed a writ petition in the Court of Appeal seeking the nullification of the warrants issued by the Fort Magistrate’s Court ordering his arrest.
The Fort Magistrate Court last Friday (March 06) issued warrants for the immediate arrest of the suspects including Ravi Karunanayake in connection with the criminal offenses committed at the bond auctions held on March 29 and 31, 2016.
Former MP Karunanayake, in his writ application, states that the Colombo Fort Magistrate issuing arrest warrant on him based on the B report submitted to the bench by the police is against the law.
Karunanayake has therefore requested the court to issue a writ order dismissing the warrant issued by the Fort magistrate based on the B report filed by the police in connection with the case.
In addition, he has appealed to the Court to deliver an order revoking the Attorney General’s directive to the IGP to obtain a warrant for his arrest.
In his writ petition, Karunanayake has further sought the Appeals Court to take the case away from the Colombo Fort magistrate.
The Attorney General, President’s Counsel Dappula de Livera ordered the Acting Inspector General of Police to obtain warrants for the arrest of eleven suspects including Ravi Karunanayake, former Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran, Perpetual Treasuries director Arjun Aloysius and CEO Kasun Palisena on charges of criminal misappropriation, fraud and mismanagement of the market.
The Attorney General has instructed to charge the suspects with conspiracy to misappropriate Rs 51.98 billion in Central Bank bond auctions on March 29 and March 31, 2016.
Following the Attorney General’s instructions, the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) informed the Fort Magistrate’s Court on the 4th March.
Considering the request, Colombo Fort Magistrate Ranga Dissanayake has issued warrants to arrest former Minister Ravi Karunanayake, former Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran, Perpetual Treasuries Director Arjun Aloysius, CEO Kasun Palisena, Geoffery Joseph Aloysius, Ranjan Hulugalle, Muthurajah Surendran, Ajahn Punchihewa, Sangarappillai Pathumanapan, and Indika Saman Kumara. However, the Magistrate rejected issuance of warrant on the tenth suspect, Buddhika Sarathchandra.
