Writ petitions against divestiture process of Lanka Hospital and SLT withdrawn

By Lakmal Sooriyagoda  

Two writ petitions filed against the divestiture process of  the Lanka Hospital Corporation PLC and Sri Lanka Telecom PLC were yesterday  withdrawn before Court of Appeal.  

The petitioners Lyca Leasing Holding Limited and Lyca  Mobile SARL decided to withdraw the two petitions, reserving their rights  to file fresh applications.  

The respondent parties including State Minister of Finance  had raised objections regarding the maintainability of the petitions  citing in terms of Article 35(3) of the constitution the President  cannot be named as a party.  
The Court of Appeal had earlier issued an interim order  preventing the authorities from proceeding with the divestiture process  of the Lanka Hospital Corporation PLC and SLT, until March 12.  
Lyca Leasing Holding Limited and HAIMS International  Limited are challenging the refusal to consider their application for  prequalification in the Request for Qualification (RFQ) for the  strategic divestiture of 51.34% of the Lanka Hospitals Corporation PLC.  
The petitioners named Minister of Finance Ranil  Wickramasinghe, State Minister of Finance Shehan Semasinghe, the members  of the special cabinet-appointed negotiating committee for the purpose  of selecting pre-qualified bidders for the strategic divestiture  pertaining to 51.34% shares of Lanka Hospitals PLC and several others as  respondents.  

In the SLT case, Lyca Mobile SARL and Pettigo Comercio  Internacional sought an order preventing the respondents from proceeding  with the divestiture process of Sri Lanka Telecom PLC with the already selected applicants.  

Kuvera De Zoysa, P.C instructed by Sanath Wijewardane appeared for the Petitioners.  

 Faiszer Musthapha,PC with Shaheeda Barrie and Mehran Careem appeared for the State Minister of Finance.  
Ronald Perera PC with Chandimal Mendis appeared for the Minister of Finance.