Ex-President Rajapaksa Files Petition to Prevent Arrest in Easter Attacks Probe

Ex-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's petition to the Court of Appeal seeking to prevent his arrest in the Easter Sunday attacks probe has added OIC of the Special Investigation Unit of the CID, Madhava Gunawardena, and the Attorney General to the list of respondents. The petition, filed after a June 3 order by the Colombo Fort Magistrate's Court, also states that Rajapaksa believes CID Director Shani Abeysekara may be acting with malice or ill will towards him in conducting the investigation.

Ex-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's petition to the Court of Appeal seeking to prevent his arrest under the Prevention of Terrorism Act in connection with the Easter Sunday attacks probe has revealed new details. The petition, filed through lawyer Sanath Wijewardena, now names Inspector General of Police Priyantha Weerasooriya and Director of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Shani Abeysekara, along with several others, as respondents. The petition also addresses a travel ban reportedly imposed by the Fort Magistrate’s Court, which Rajapaksa learned of through media reports. This travel ban is allegedly linked to investigations stemming from allegations made by Asad Moulana in a Channel 4 documentary concerning the Easter attacks. In his petition, Rajapaksa denies any involvement in the Easter Sunday attacks and states he has never been questioned by police regarding them.

Ex-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has filed a petition in the Court of Appeal seeking an order to prevent his arrest under the Prevention of Terrorism Act in connection with the investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks. The petition, filed through lawyer Sanath Wijewardena, names the Inspector General of Police and the Director of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) as respondents.