Avant Garde floating armoury trial on June 4

By T. Farook Thajudeen   

Colombo High Court overruled the defence’s request to dismiss the action filed by the Commission to Investigate Allegation of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) against Avant Garde Chairman Nissanka Senadhipathi and Rakna Lanka Marine Service Chairman Palitha Fernando for accepting and offering a bribe and fixed the trial for June 4. 

 
High Court Judge Champa Janaki Rajaratne, while dismissing the defence request to dismiss the action held that the Commission had filed the indictment in conformity with the Evidence Ordinance.  

The Commission had filed this action in the High Court with the signature of its Director General and without the consent of two other Bribery Commissioners which the defence contended that bad in law.  

However, the Judge observed that the Commission had instituted the action against the accused in agreement with the Evidence Ordinance and the court has all jurisdictions to hear this case against the accused,.  

Judge Rajaratne made this order after considering the written submissions of the defence and the Bribery Commission.  

The defence raised this objection challenging over the maintainability of the trial without the written consent of all three commissioners of the Bribery Commission.  

The accused Senadhipathi and Fernando are alleged to have an involvement in an act of bribery amounting to Rs.35.5 million in relation to the Avant-Garde floating armoury operations.  
 The two were accused on 47 counts under Section 17, 19, 21 and 25 of the Bribery Commission Act for offer of a bribe of Rs.35.5 million to Major General Palitha Fernando by Avant-Garde Chairman Senadhipathi consequent to the Avant-Garde floating armoury operation between 2012 and 2014.