Court orders BC to file counter objections

Avant Guard chief’s objections

Colombo High Court yesterday (17) directed the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption to file its counter objections if any on November 4 against the written objections raised by Avant Guard Maritime Services (Pvt) Ltd chairman Major Nissanka Senadhipathi and former Major General Palitha Fernando against the petition filed in High Court by the Commission challenging the lower court’s ruling to grant bail to the suspects.

High Court Judge M.C.B.S. Morais made this direction to the Commission following the written objects filed in court by the instructing Attorney for the two suspects.

Earlier, the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption has challenged the lower court’s ruling to grant bail to the Chairman of the controversial Avant Garde Maritime Services (Pvt) Ltd Major Nissanka Senadhipathi and Major General Palitha Fernando who were arrested by the Bribery Commission on 6th September and when produced before the Colombo Chief Magistrate Gihan Pilapitiya and were released on a cash bail of Rs. 250,000 with four sureties of Rs. 10 million on each of the suspects.

The Commission alleges that releasing the suspects on Rs. 250,000 cash with four sureties of Rs. 10 million on each of them was flawed and without following the proper legal procedure in granting bail to the two suspects. The two suspects were arrested and produced before the court by the Bribery Commission when they appeared before the Commission to record a statement over the Avant-garde controversy. The Commission on September 01 had filed charges at the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court against Major Senadhipathi, former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and seven others including three former Navy commanders Somathilaka Dissanayake, Jayanath Colombage and Jayantha Perera.