The Colombo High Court has announced that it will deliver its order on November 18 regarding whether to issue an interim injunction suspending the bail order granted to Parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa in connection with the Krrish bribery case.
The revision petition, filed by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), was taken up before Colombo High Court Judge Lal Ranasinghe Bandara. The Bribery Commission is challenging the November 3 decision by the Colombo Chief Magistrate to release Rajapaksa on bail, arguing that the ruling is legally flawed.
Appearing for the Bribery Commission, legal representatives argued that under Section 149(1) of the Anti-Corruption Act, suspects charged under the Act must be remanded until the conclusion of trial unless exceptional circumstances apply, contending that the Magistrate’s bail order violated statutory provisions. Furthermore, the prosecution raised concerns regarding witness safety, claiming that releasing the suspect could potentially influence witnesses in the ongoing case.
Strongly objecting to the request, President’s Counsel Ali Sabry, appearing for Namal Rajapaksa, argued that the interim relief sought by the prosecution is identical to the final relief, which is barred under established Supreme Court precedents. He maintained that the Magistrate acted strictly within the framework of the law by properly identifying exceptional circumstances, specifically the severe heart condition of the suspect’s mother and urged the court to reject the interim injunction request.
Following submissions from both sides, High Court Judge Lal Bandara stated that the decision on whether to issue the interim suspension order will be delivered on November 18. (Newswire)
