Supreme Court extends travel ban on Mahinda, Basil

By AJA Abeynayake

The Supreme Court yesterday extended a travel ban imposed on former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and former minister Basil Rajapaksa until 04 August.

The ban was extended when a FR case filed over the economic crisis was taken up by the Supreme Court.

A motion was filed on 13 July seeking an order banning former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, former Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa, former Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal and several others from leaving the country.

The motion was submitted in relation to a fundamental rights violation petition filed by the former Chairman of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC) Chandra Jayaratne, requesting that an investigation be ordered against the individuals responsible for the current economic crisis.

Accordingly, the FR petition was taken up before a five-member bench consisting of Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya and Justices L.T.B. Dehideniya and Buwaneka Aluwihare, Priyantha Jayawardena and Vijith Malalgoda.

When the petition was taken up yesterday (01), the bench headed by the Chief Justice extended the travel ban on the former Prime Minister and the former Finance Minister.