The Supreme Court (SC) yesterday (28) directed to serve notices on several respondents, including the former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, in connection with a Fundamental Rights (FR) petition filed against the alleged unlawful compensation payments to former Ministers and Parliamentarians whose residences were set on fire during the aragalaya protest movement in 2022. 

The SC issued the directive to the legal counsel for the petitioner. The petitioner is seeking an order to recover compensation funds allegedly paid unlawfully to former Ministers and MPs whose residences were set on fire following attacks on protesters during the aragalaya protest movement on 9 May 2022. The FR petition was filed by environmental lawyer Dr. Ravindranath Dabare. In terms of the Court’s order, the petitioner’s attorneys were instructed to serve notices on the following respondents: Rajapaksa, the former Defence Secretary, Major General (MG) (Retired) Kamal Gunaratne, the former Inspector General of Police, C.D. Wickramaratne, the former Navy Commander, Admiral Nishantha Ulugetenne, the former Public Security Ministers Prasanna Ranatunga and Tiran Alles, and the former Public Security Ministry Secretary, Rtd. MG Jagath Alwis.