Thursday Nov 21, 2024
Thursday Nov 21, 2024
Saturday, 20 February 2021 00:45 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The District Court of Colombo yesterday, upon considering an application preferred by the Plaintiff-Petitioner Lanka Realty Leisure Ltd. (LRL), issued summons and charge sheets on several Respondent-Accused, including Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) Chairperson Kimarli Fernando.
The other Respondent-Accused are SLTDA Director General Dhammika Wijesinghe and Additional Director General Anoma Nandani for violating an Interim Injunction issued by the District Court.
The initial action was instituted by LRL on 15 June 2020 in respect of a land in the Yala tourism zone, where the SLTDA leased the property to LRL for a period of 99 years.
However, thereafter, the SLTDA had unilaterally executed a Cancellation of Lease, and LRL instituted proceedings against the SLTDA to declare the cancellation as void.
At the first instance, ex-parte enjoining orders were issued against the SLTDA; and thereafter, at the Interim Injunction Inquiry, an Interim Injunction was issued against the SLTDA, preventing the SLTDA acting on certain documents, including a Deed of Cancellation of the Lease. The Interim Injunction is in force until the end of the trial.
In the most recent contempt proceedings, LRL took up the position that though the Interim Injunction was in operation, preventing the cancellation of the lease agreement through the respective documents, the SLTDA has proceeded to lease the Yala land to a third party, which LRL complained to Court to be a direct violation of the Interim Injunction in disrespect of District Court.
On behalf of the Plaintiff-Petitioner, LRL was represented in Court by Counsel Nishan Premathiratne with Pravi Karunaratne on the instructions of Francis Julian Pratheep, Attorneys-at-Law.
Pursuant to submissions made on behalf of LRL, the District Court, being satisfied, issued summons and charge sheets on the SLTDA, Chairperson Kimarli Fernando, Director General Dhammika Wijesinghe and Additional Director General Anoma Nandani to appear before the Court on 24 May.
