Gotabaya Rajapaksa's Legal Team Petitions Court for Access to Presidential Commission Report

A petition filed on behalf of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is set to be taken up for consideration, with his legal representatives seeking access to a key government document tied to one of the most devastating attacks in Sri Lanka's recent history.

The law firm Sanath Wijewardane Associates, acting on behalf of the former President, has invoked Article 140 of the Constitution in filing the petition. The firm is requesting a certified copy of the report produced by the Commission of Inquiry that was commissioned by then President Maithripala Sirisena on 22nd September 2019.

Commission Established in the Wake of Easter Sunday Attacks

The Commission of Inquiry in question was established to investigate intelligence failures connected to the April 2019 Easter Sunday attacks, which claimed the lives of nearly 270 people and left hundreds more injured in coordinated bomb blasts targeting churches and hotels across Sri Lanka.

The petition, lodged under Article 140 of the Constitution, represents a formal legal avenue through which individuals or their representatives may seek documents or records held by state institutions, where such access is deemed necessary in the interests of justice.

Legal Process Underway

The court is expected to consider the petition, with legal observers noting that the outcome could have broader implications depending on the nature of the proceedings in which the former President's legal team intends to utilise the report.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who served as Secretary to the Ministry of Defence at the time of the Easter Sunday attacks before later being elected President in November 2019, has previously faced scrutiny over what was known by defence and intelligence authorities ahead of the bombings.

Further details are expected to emerge as proceedings unfold before the court.