AG to inform his position on almanac case against Basil to Colombo HC on 11 Nov.

The Attorney General has told the Colombo High Court that his position as regards the maintainability of the almanac case filed against two accused including Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa would be conveyed to the Court on 11 November.

The Attorney General filed indictments against Minister Basil Rajapaksa and former Director-General of Divi Neguma Department Kithsiri Ranawaka in the Colombo High Court for allegedly printing five million almanacs with the image of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa thereon, at a cost of Rs. 29.4 million, to be used as election propaganda material in the run-up to the January-2015 Presidential election.

Accordingly, the case against the two accused including former Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa for alleged misappropriation of Rs.29.4 million of funds belonging to the Divi Neguma Department was fixed for 11 November.

The Attorney General alleged that by printing these almanacs between 23 November and 31 December 2014, these accused attempted to influence the electorate to vote for presidential candidate Mahinda Rajapaksa. He maintained that the accused had committed an offence under Section 79 of the Presidential Election Act No 15 of 1981.

The Attorney General also listed 32 people including former Election Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya as witnesses in the case.