SC overturns Appeal Court order over case against Ravi Karunanayake

May 24 - The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka has today granted special leave to appeal in a high-profile bribery case against former Minister of Finance Ravi Karunanayake. 

The case centers around allegations that Karunanayake accepted an apartment from Arjun Aloysius, a director of a primary dealer company.

This development follows the submission of a special leave to appeal application by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC). 

The application sought to challenge an earlier decision by the Court of Appeal, which had overruled a preliminary objection raised by CIABOC. The objection contended that the accused, Karunanayake, did not have the right to appeal against an interim order of the High Court.

The legal wrangling began in the High Court, where Karunanayake's defense argued that he could not be considered a 'public servant' under the Bribery Act. They pointed to Article 170 of the Constitution, which excludes Ministers from the definition of 'public officer.' However, the High Court rejected this argument, ruling that the former Minister of Finance falls within the scope of a 'public servant' and could therefore be indicted under the Bribery Act.