Sri Lanka's top court allows economic crisis case against Rajapaksas

Sri Lankas Supreme Court on Friday allowed proceedings of a case filed by a rights group against the Rajapaksa clan alleging that the members of the erstwhile powerful family were directly responsible for the countrys foreign debt and the worst economic crisisTransparency International Sri Lanka on June 17 filed a public interest petition claiming that former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa his brothers Mahinda Rajapaksa and Basil Rajapaksa former central bank governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal and top finance ministry bureaucrat S R Attygalle were directly responsible for the economic crisisThe rights group claimed that the respondents named in the petition were directly responsible for the unsustainability of Sri Lankas foreign debt its debt default and the current economic crisisThe lawyers for the petitioner had argued that the failure to take timely action by the Rajapaksa leadership caused Sri Lanka to go bankrupt and declare that the country was unable to meet its international debt commitmentsAlso read Dussehra rallies of both Shiv Sena factions crossed permissible noise limitsThe Rajapaksa family had dominated Sri Lankas political scene for nearly two decades before all the brothers were forced to quit following unprecedented antigovernment protestsThe top courts permission came a day after the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva incorporated Sri Lankas economic crimes and corruption in its latest resolution calling for accountability for alleged rights abuses coming from 2009The resolution has called to investigate the ongoing economic crisis and prosecute those responsibleIt also calls upon the government of Sri Lanka to address the ongoing economic crisis including by investigating and where warranted prosecuting corruption including where committed by public and former public officials and stands ready to assist and support independent impartial and transparent efforts in this regardIndia abstained on the draft resolution on promoting reconciliation accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka which was adoptedWhile abstaining India stressed that it will work with Sri Lanka and the international community to attain the related objectives of legitimate aspirations of Tamils of Sri Lanka and prosperity for all Sri LankansThe draft resolution on Promoting reconciliation accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka was adopted at the 51st Session of Human Rights Council in Geneva with 20 nations voting in favour in the 47member Council seven against including China and Pakistan and 20 abstentions including by India Japan Nepal and QatarSri Lanka had expressed opposition to the resolution as a violation of its sovereignty other than in 2015 when they cosponsored the resolutionGotabaya Rajapaksa was ousted mid July in a popular public uprising against him for bungling in the economic crisisSri Lanka is nearly bankrupt and has suspended repaying its USD 51 billion foreign debt of which it must repay USD 28 billion by 2027Sri Lanka has reached a preliminary agreement with the IMF for a USD 29 billion rescue package over four years Its completion hinges on assurances from Sri Lankas creditors on debt restructuringThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever