12 November 2021 07:44 am Views - 253
By Lakmal Sooriyagoda
The Attorney General has decided to proceed with the almanac case filed against two accused including Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa.
The Attorney General’s stance regarding the maintainability of the almanac case was to be informed to the High Court on November 11.
Deputy Solicitor General Sudarshana de Silva appearing for the Attorney General informed Court that the prosecution was expecting to call several others as witnesses in the future.
The Attorney General had filed indictments against Minister Basil Rajapaksa and former Director-General of Divi Neguma Department- Kithsiri Ranawaka in the Colombo High Court for allegedly printing five million almanacs with the image of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, at a cost of Rs.29.4 million, to be used as election propaganda material, during January-2015 Presidential election.
Accordingly, the case against the two accused including former Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa for allegedly misappropriating Rs.29.4 million of funds belonging to the Divi Neguma Department was fixed for further trial on December 1, by Colombo High Court.
The Attorney General had alleged that by printing those almanacs between 23 November and 31 December 2014, the accused had attempted to influence citizens of this country to vote for presidential candidate Mahinda Rajapaksa. The Attorney General maintained that the act of the accused deems him guilty of the offence of bribery by section 79 of the Presidential Election Act No 15 of 1981. The Attorney General had also listed 32 people including former Election Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya as witnesses in the case.