The Attorney General yesterday requested the Supreme Court to consider a petition filed seeking annulment of the Cabinet decision to transfer 40% of the government-owned stake in the Kerawalapitiya Yugadanavi Thermal Power Plant to an American company, New Fortress Energy, before a full bench.
Additional Solicitor General Farzana Jameel appearing on behalf of the Attorney General and the Cabinet, said that the petitions were filed on a matter of national importance.
The petition was taken up before panel of Supreme Court Judges Buwaneka Aluvihare,H.M.D. Nawaz and Mahinda Samayawardena. The petitions have been filed by Colombo Archbishop Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith and Ven. Elle Gunawansa Thera, General Secretary of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya Ranjith Maddumabandara, Wasantha Samarasinghe and the Secretary of the Ceylon Electricity Board Union Ranjan Jayalal.
When the petitions was taken up yesterday, Additional Solicitor General Farzana Jameel said she hoped to file limited objections to the petitions on behalf of the Attorney General and the Cabinet.
She also requested that a full bench of five or more members be appointed in accordance with the provisions of Article 132 (3) ii of the Constitution to inquire into matters of national importance.
To make an appropriate decision, the request will be forwarded to Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya, said the chairman of the Bench, Justice Buwaneka Aluvihare.Counsel for the other respondents also stated that they had limited objections to the petitions.
Accordingly, the court ordered the objections to be filed within three weeks and the counter objections to be filed within a week thereafter.
The petition will be taken up again on November 26.