D.A. Rajapaksa Museum case: Documents held under court custody released to LRDC

A set of documents which were held in court custody as the production items of the D.A. Rajapaksa Museum case originally filed against President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and six others were yesterday ordered to be released to the Land Reclamation and Development Corporation (LRDC) by Colombo Permanent High Court-at-Bar.

The Colombo Permanent Trial-at-Bar ordered to release these documents reserving LRDC's rights to re-submit them if necessary.

At a previous occasion, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was ordered to be released from this case after taking into consideration the constitutional immunity of President from suit.

Subsequently, six accused-former members of the LRDC director board were also ordered to be released from the case on the basis that the case cannot be proceeded without the first accused.

State Counsel Udara Karunaratne appearing for the Attorney General sought an order to release these documents to the LRDC since court has already terminated case proceedings against the seven accused.

In this case, the indictments were filed against seven accused former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, former members of the director board of Land Reclamation and Development Corporation (LRDC) Chairman Prasad Harshan de Silva, Bhadra Udulawathi Kamaladasa, Sudammika Keminda Artigala, Saman Kumara Abraham Galappatti, Devage Mahinda Saliya and Srimathi Mallika Kumari Senadheera under seven counts for allegedly misappropriating LRDC funds of Rs.33.9 million.( Lakmal Sooriyagoda)