By Bhagya Silva
Colombo, Oct. 12 (Daily Mirror) - Maligakanda Magistrate Janitha Perera today dismissed an anticipatory bail application filed by Shiranthi Rajapaksa, seeking an order preventing her arrest, advising her to file the application before the court having the proper jurisdiction.
When the anticipatory bail application was taken up in open court today, State Counsel Samadari Priyasena, appearing for the Attorney General, submitted that the Maligakanda Magistrate’s Court lacked jurisdiction to consider the application.
She informed the court that facts relating to the incident had already been reported to the Fort Magistrate’s Court. Under these circumstances, she argued that the petitioner could not seek anticipatory bail before the Maligakanda Magistrate’s Court in relation to a case pending before the Fort Magistrate’s Court.
The State Counsel further submitted that only the initial complaint and related investigations concerning the incident were before the Maligakanda Magistrate’s Court, while the case concerning the factual allegations on which the petitioner had based her anticipatory bail application was pending before the Fort Magistrate’s Court.
Having considered the submissions, Magistrate Janitha Perera dismissed the anticipatory bail application, advising the petitioner to file the application before the court with the appropriate jurisdiction.
The case concerns allegations that in 2010, a sum of Rs. 10 million was credited to the ‘Siriliya Saviya’ account at the National Savings Bank following a written request purportedly made by Shiranthi Rajapaksa to obtain a CT scanner for the Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children and that the money was subsequently misappropriated.