The Colombo High Court has ordered the release of Daisy Forrest, the grandmother of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s son Yoshitha Rajapaksa, from a money laundering case filed against them.
The order was issued yesterday when the case was taken up before Colombo High Court Judge Rashmi Singappuli.
Senior State Counsel Oswald Perera, appearing on behalf of the Attorney General, requested the court to release the second accused, Daisy Forrest, citing her poor health condition.
After considering the circumstances, the court ordered her release from the case.
Subsequently, the amended indictment was read out to the first accused, Yoshitha Rajapaksa. His counsel, President’s Counsel Sampath Mendis, informed the court that his client was not guilty of the charges.
The court fixed December 3 for the pre-trial conference.
The Attorney General had filed indictments against the two accused on three charges under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
They were accused of depositing more than Rs. 59 million, allegedly earned illegally, into fixed deposit accounts at three private banks between March 31, 2009, and December 12, 2013.
