The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed all Fundamental Rights petitions filed seeking to annul the Cabinet decision to transfer 40 percent of the Government-owned stake in the Kerawalapitiya Yugadhanavi Thermal Power Plant to an American company, New Fortress Energy.
Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya said that the five-judge panel did not wish to allow the petitions to be granted leave to proceed. He said the decision was taken by the five-judge panel after deliberating on the fundamental issues raised and opposed by five fundamental rights petitions challenging the agreement.
The order was made by the five-judge bench comprising Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya, Justices Buwaneka Aluvihare, Priyantha Jayawardena, Vijith Malalgoda and L.T.B Dehideniya.
The Attorney General filing preliminary objections to these petitions last December said the petitions were filed after the expiry of the constitutional deadline for filing a fundamental rights petition.
The Attorney General said that another mistake was that the board members of the American company New Fortress Energy were not named as respondents in these petitions.
The petitions have been filed by Colombo Archbishop Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, Ven.Elle Gunawansa Thera, General Secretary of the Samagi Jana Balawega Ranjith Maddumabandara, former JVP MP Wasantha Samarasinghe and the Secretary of the Ceylon Electricity Board Ranjan Jayalal.