Proceedings of case against Maithripala deferred

The Court of Appeal yesterday ordered the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court to defer the proceedings against former President Maithripala Sirisena, over the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks, for 10 weeks starting from 14 October. The Court of Appeal gave this order after taking into consideration a writ application filed by Sirisena, last week, requesting the suspension of a private plaint lodged against him over the Easter Sunday attacks.

National Catholic Social Communications Centre Director, Rev. Fr. Cyril Gamini, and Easter Sunday terror attacks victim Jesudasan Nadesan filed cases seeking to name Sirisena as an accused of the Easter Sunday attacks. The petitioners claimed that Sirisena knew of the attacks but failed to prevent it.Sirisena said that the complaint filed against him in the Fort Magistrate’s Court is biased and the allegations against him were baseless. The former Presidnet also requested the Court of Appeal to grant him interim relief by suspending the Magisterial Inquiry, until this writ application is heard and finally determined by the Court of Appeal.