Former President Ranil Wickramasinghe has been named as a respondent in the writ petition filed in the appeal challenging the process of purchasing passports from two foreign companies.
It is related to the petition filed by Epic Lanka Pvt. Company challenging the related purchases.
The petition was called today before the Appellate Court bench consisting of Mr. Mohammad Lafar Tahir and Mr. P. Kumaran Ratnam.
At that time, the lawyers representing Tases Company and Just Time Company, respondents in the relevant petition, stated before the court that they had issued an interim restraining order preventing the purchase of five million e-passports, stating that their clients had suffered severe prejudice.
The lawyers also requested that an order to remove the relevant interim order be issued, pointing out that this interim order will remain in force until the end of the trial.
Mr. Viran Koraya, the President’s Attorney who appeared for the petitioner, presented the facts before the court and pointed out that these passports were purchased under an informal procurement system.
The President’s lawyer told the court that he opposes the request to remove this interim order and that it is appropriate to hear this case promptly and give a final decision.
After considering the facts presented, the bench ordered the petitioner to file any objections related to the request to remove the relevant interim order.
It was also ordered that the examination of the facts will be conducted on December 09.
Epic Lanka Pvt. Ltd. has submitted this petition asking for the annulment of the Cabinet of Ministers’ decision to purchase 750,000 ordinary passports and 5 million e-passports.
