.
The Colombo Chief Magistrate today issued notice on former
Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa and 7 others to appear before the court in
connection with the case filed against them for unlawfully authorizing the
establishing of a floating armoury. The Commission to Investigate into
Allegations of Bribery or Corruption yesterday filed a case that said they had
caused a loss of Rs 11.4 billion to the state through the illegal establishment
of a floating armory in the port of Galle. . When the case was taken up for
hearing, the Colombo Chief Magistrate Gihan Pilapitiya instructed to file
indictments against the suspects. Notice was issue on Gotabaya Rajapaksa,
former Additional Secretary of the State Ministry of Defence Damayanthi
Jayaratne, Major General Palitha Fernando, Major General K.B. Egodawela, former
Navy Commanders Admiral Somathilake Dissanayake, Admiral Jayanath Colombage,
Admiral Jayantha Perera and Avant Garde Chairman retired Major General Nissanka
Senadhipathi. The armory’s operation through a private company was
alleged to have been in violation of law when the Sri Lankan Navy ought to have
been the agency to carry out the operation. The armory was seized after
the presidential polls, the operation getting handed to the Navy.