NOTICE ISSUED ON GOTA

Former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and six others including former Chairman and members of the Land Reclamation and Development Corporation (LRDC) Director Board were yesterday noticed to appear before the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court on September 7, over a complaint that the D.A. Rajapaksa Museum and Memorial in Medamulana was allegedly built using LRDC funds amounting to Rs.81.3 million.

Colombo Additional Magistrate Ms. Kanchana de Silva made this order pursuant to a request made by the FCID.

Filing a ‘B’ report in Court, the FCID yesterday named former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, LRDC Chairman Prasad Harshan de Silva, Bhadra Udulawathi Kamalabada, Sudammika Keminda Artigala, Saman Kumara Abraham Galappatti, Devage Mahinda Saliya and Srimathi Mallika Kumari Senadheera as the suspects in the case in accordance with Section 120(3) of the Criminal Procedure Code, on the instructions of the Attorney General.

On June 4, the Court of Appeal had issued an order preventing Gotabhaya Rajapaksa being arrested under the Public Property Act regarding this magisterial inquiry.

The Court of Appeal made this order pursuant to a writ petition filed by Gotabhaya Rajapaksa.

The Court of Appeal observed that the certificate issued under the Public Property Act would not be operative against Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and no further certificates under the offences of the Public Property Act would be filed against him in respect of this subject matter of this case in any proceedings. The FCID had informed the Magistrate’s Court that Cabinet approval has not been obtained for the D.A. Rajapaksa Memorial Museum in Weerakatiya, Medamulana.

The FCID had also informed court that no legal agreement had been entered into by the LRDC and project officials. The FCID also revealed that the Navy had provided manpower for the construction on the verbal instructions of former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and on the written instructions of then Land Reclamation and Development Corporation (LRDC) Chairman Harshan de Silva.

Inspector Sanjeewa Fernando appeared for the FCID.

(Source: Daily News – By Lakmal Sooriyagoda)