Mahinda and Basil won’t leave Sri Lanka until SC hears petition, their lawyers say

Lawyers appearing for former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, former Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa and former Finance Secretary S.R. Attygalle yesterday told the Supreme Court that they would not leave the country until the Fundamental Rights petition filed against them was heard on Friday.Former Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal has also said he will be present when the case is taken up.A fundamental rights petition has been filed by the former Chairman of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC) Chandra Jayaratne, asking the Supreme Court to investigate those responsible for the current economic crisis.

The Rajapaksas, Attygalle, Cabraal and former Central Bank governor W.D. Lakshman are among the respondents.The Supreme Court also issued a travel ban on Lakshman because a lawyer representing him wasn’t present at court yesterday. A five-judge bench of Lankan Supreme Court comprising Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya, Justice Buwaneka Aluwihare, Justice Priyantha Jayawardena, Justice Vijith Malalgoda, and Justice LTB Dehideniya are scheduled to hear the case on Friday.