The Supreme Court granted special leave to appeal in a bribery case involving former Minister of Finance, Ravi Karunanayake. The case revolves around allegations that Karunanayake accepted an apartment from Arjun Aloysius, a director of a primary dealer company.
The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) filed this special leave to appeal application after the Court of Appeal overruled a preliminary objection. This objection challenged the accused's right to appeal against an interim order of the High Court.
In the High Court, Karunanayake's defense argued that he is not considered a 'public servant' under the Bribery Act, citing Article 170 of the Constitution which excludes Ministers from the definition of 'public officer.' However, the High Court rejected this objection, affirming that the accused qualifies as a 'public servant' under the Bribery Act and can be indicted accordingly.
