Colombo Magistrate frees GR and seven others from Avant Garde case

By T. Farook Thajudeen

The Colombo Chief Magistrate yesterday freed former Defense Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa and seven others from a corruption case filed by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC). 

The Colombo Chief Magistrate made this order consequent to a Court of Appeal ruling made against an order of the Colombo Chief Magistrate to hear the corruption case filed by the CIABOC in connection with the Avant Garde floating armoury.

Appeal Court judges Achala Wengappuli and Arjuna Obeysekara had set aside the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s order to continue with the trial of the corruption case filed by CIABOC against Rajapaksa and seven other suspects.

The Bribery Commission had charged Rajapaksa and seven others with causing an alleged unlawful loss of Rs. 11.4 billion to the State by permitting Avant Garde Maritime Services Ltd. to operate a floating armoury.

Rajapaksa’s lawyers had challenged the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s decision to refuse the preliminary objections raised by the defence against the charges filed by the Commission.

The Commission had alleged that eight accused, including Rajapaksa, had violated Section 70 of the Bribery Act and had permitted Avant Garde Maritime Services Ltd. to operate a floating armoury between 7 August 2012 and 8 January 2015 to earn an unlawful income of Rs. 11.4 billion.