A Fundamental Rights petition seeking an order prohibiting the Treasury Secretary from selling, leasing, or alienating state properties vested in Selendiva Investments Limited Company was fixed for 29 November by the Supreme Court, today.
This petition was taken up electronically via Zoom technology before a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court comprising Justice Buwaneka Aluwihare, Justice Murdu Fernando and Justice Shiran Goonaratne.
The Secretary of the Professionals National Front of Sri Lanka (PNF) G. Kapila RenukaPerera has filed this case.
Attorney-at-law Darshana Weraduwageappearing for the petitioner sought the court’s permission to file an amended petition in line with the changes of the duties and functions of the Cabinet of Ministers.
The Supreme Court directed the petitioner to file an amended petition within three weeks from today (24).
According to the petitioner, SelendivaInvestments Ltd was formed following a Cabinet approval granted on or around March 24, 2020, with 100 per cent ownership vested in the Secretary to the Treasury, to transform the State-Owned Hospitality Portfolios to optimum performance levels through appropriate restructuring.
The Petitioner states that, on or around the 18th of May, 2021, he has seen a press briefing of cabinet decisions which included information relating to several approved proposals including; State-owned Canwill Holdings (Pvt) Ltd, Hotel Developers (Lanka) PLC and Hotels Colombo Ltd that has been already vested in Selendiva Investments Ltd at present.
The petitioner also feared that it would cause irreparable harm to the country’s cultural heritage, as some of the properties to be vested with Selendiva Investments Ltd are said to be historic and architecturally valuable buildings that are listed to be preserved in the City of Colombo Development Plan 1999.
If the cabinet decision is executed, the petitioner and the citizens of this country will lose access to important historical, archaeological, and architecturally valuable sites located in the aforementioned territories, the petitioner said.
The petitioner, in this case, has named Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, Treasury Secretary S.R. Attygalle, the Director-General of the Department of Public Enterprises P.A.S. Athula Kumara, Selendiva Investments Limited, Auditor General W.P.C. Wickremaratne, Security and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka, Colombo Stock Exchange, the Registrar General of Companies, Hotel Developers (Lanka) PLC, Hotels Colombo (1963) Ltd, Bank of Ceylon, Canwill Holdings (Private) Limited, Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation Ltd, The Monetary Board (CBSL), Litro Gas Lanka Ltd, Urban Development Authority, Secretary to the Cabinet, Selendiva Leisure Investments Limited and Attorney General as respondents.
