COLOMBO (News 1st); The Court of Appeal today ordered that further consideration of the petition filed by former Minister Nalin Fernando, who is currently serving a prison sentence, be postponed until the 25th. The petition seeks the rejection of the indictment filed against him by the Attorney General in connection with the controversial Carrom Board case.The petition was taken up before a bench comprising Court of Appeal Judges P. Kumaran Ratnam and Pradeep Hettiarachchi.During the proceedings, President’s Counsel Ali Sabry, appearing on the instructions of Attorney-at-Law Ramzi Bacha for the defendant, informed court that his client had already been convicted in a case filed by the Bribery Commission over the same incident. He pointed out that the Colombo Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar had sentenced his client to 30 years of rigorous imprisonment.Despite this, the President’s Counsel highlighted that the Attorney General had proceeded to file another case based on the same charges. He argued that instituting legal action twice over the same offence is contrary to the law.President’s Counsel Sabry further stated that although his client had raised preliminary objections regarding this matter during the High Court trial, the trial judge had rejected those objections.Accordingly, he informed court that the present petition had been filed seeking a ruling that the indictment filed by the Attorney General against the defendant is unlawful.The Court of Appeal thereafter postponed further consideration of the petition until the 25th, on which date the Attorney General is expected to present the State’s position regarding the petitioner’s claims.The case originates from allegations that during the 2015 Presidential Election period, 14,000 carrom boards and 11,000 draught boards were imported and distributed through the Sathosa network to political offices of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, resulting in a loss of Rs. 39 million to the State.The Attorney General had filed charges against former Minister Nalin Fernando under the Public Property Act before the Colombo High Court over the incident.
