The money laundering case against Yoshitha Rajapaksa has been postponed to August 20, Ada Derana reported, after the matter was taken up in court on Thursday and further consideration deferred.
Yoshitha, a son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, faces allegations brought by the Attorney General under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. Prosecutors allege that he deposited more than Rs. 59 million of unverifiable origin into private fixed deposit accounts over a period of several years.
The case has moved through a series of preliminary objections, petitions and appeals over the past year. Earlier this month, the Court of Appeal dismissed a revision petition that had sought to strike out the conspiracy charge, allowing the High Court proceedings to continue with all charges intact.
More recently, the Attorney General objected to a bid before the Supreme Court seeking to halt the High Court trial, signalling the prosecution’s determination to keep the case on track.
The matter is one of several involving members of the Rajapaksa family that remain before the courts as authorities pursue long-running financial investigations. The case will next be taken up on August 20.
