CA directs MC to acquit former Def. Secy and others in Avant Garde bribery case

• CA directive follows revision application filed by Gotabaya Rajapaksa
• CIABOC filed case against Rajapaksa in MC, alleging country lost Rs. 11.4b due to Avant Garde operations

The Court of Appeal yesterday directed the Colombo Magistrate’s Court to acquit all accused, including former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, from the case filed by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery and Corruption (CIABOC) in connection with the Avant Garde floating armoury case.

Former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa

The Court of Appeal also set aside the Magistrates’ Court order in the Avant-Garde case after considering revision application filed by Rajapaksa. The order was delivered by Appeal Court Judges Achala Wengappuli and Arjuna Obeysekara. The CA order was in relation to a case filed by the Bribery Commission alleging Rajapaksa and seven others had committed an offence which resulted in the country losing Rs. 11.4 billion as a result of the joint operation of a floating armoury between the Defence Ministry and Avant Garde Maritime Services Ltd.

Rajapaksa raised preliminary objections in the Colombo Magistrate’s Court against charges made against him which were rejected by the MC. He then filed a revision application stating that the rejection of his preliminary objections is unlawful.