The Supreme Court (SC) has dismissed, without taking up for hearing, a Fundamental Rights (FR) petition filed by Ven. Thiniyawala Palitha Thera against a group including the former Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal.

The monk had filed the petition alleging that Cabraal and several others had violated FR by authorising a payment of Rs. 6.5 million from the funds of the Government to a Pakistani-American political donor, Imaad Zuberi. The petitioner claimed the payment, made during the previous regime of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, was intended to enhance the image of Sri Lanka. 

The bench, comprising Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena, and Justices Mahinda Samayawardhena and Sampath K.B. Wijeratne delivered the ruling after considering the fundamental facts of the case.

Attorney Suren Gnanaraj, representing Cabraal, presented facts before the Court, and stated the petitioner had previously filed personal complaints regarding the matter with the Colombo and Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Courts, both of which were rejected. He also noted that a revision petition filed by the petitioner had been dismissed by the courts.

President’s Counsel Farman Cassim, representing the monk, argued the actions of Cabraal were unlawful and constituted a violation of FR.

After reviewing the submissions from both the factions, the three-Judge bench concluded the petition did not present sufficient grounds for a lawsuit and dismissed the case.