Travel ban on Gota and six others lifted

Former Defense Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa and six other Directors of Avant Garde Security Company including Director Nissanka Senadipathi were lifted by the Colombo Chief Magistrate Gihan Pilapitiya yesterday.

When the case was called before the Magistrate to fix a date for trial, the President’s counsel team who appeared for the suspects, moved the Magistrate to lift the travel ban imposed on the seven suspects including Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

Senior State Counsel Janaka Bandara, appearing with the Commission during the inquiry before the Magistrate, did not object and proposed the Magistrate request the defence to give one week prior notice to the Commission and to court of any foreign travels by the suspects.

The commission filed this case in the Magistrate Court alleged that the suspects permitted Avant Garde Maritime Services to operate a floating armoury, earning Rs. 11.4 billion and incurring a financial loss to the Government. The other six suspects were Sujatha Damayanthi, Palitha Piyasiri Fernando, Karunaratne Bandara Adhikari, Somathilaka Dissanayake, Jayanath Sirikumara Colambage and Jayantha Perera. The trial was fixed for 13 February.