Court of Appeal Dismisses Former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's Writ Petition on Easter Attacks Probe

The Court of Appeal has dismissed a writ petition filed by former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, which sought to prevent his arrest and detention under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) in connection with investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks. The two-judge bench, comprising Justices Rohantha Abeysooriya and Sarath Dissanayake, ruled that intervening in ongoing investigations would hinder the criminal justice process, especially as no statement had yet been recorded from Rajapaksa. Rajapaksa's legal counsel has indicated an intention to appeal this decision to the Supreme Court.

Key facts

• The Court of Appeal dismissed a writ petition filed by former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
• Rajapaksa sought to prevent his arrest and detention under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).
• The petition was related to investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks.
• Justices Rohantha Abeysooriya and Sarath Dissanayake comprised the two-judge bench.
• The court ruled that intervening would hinder the criminal justice process as no statement had been recorded from Rajapaksa.
• Rajapaksa's legal counsel plans to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court.

Sources

• Ada Derana Sinhala
• Ada Derana Sinhala
• Newsfirst Sinhala