The Supreme Court has fixed December 4 for the hearing of a fundamental rights petition concerning the alleged non-payment of a Rs. 2.68 million electricity bill incurred during the wedding of MP Namal Rajapaksa in 2019.

The petition seeks a ruling that the failure to recover the charges for electricity supplied to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s residence in Weeraketiya for the wedding violated the public’s fundamental rights.

The petition was taken up before Supreme Court Justices A.H.M.D. Nawaz and Sampath Abeykoon on Friday (24).

Considering submissions made before the court, the bench permitted the petitioner to name the relevant successor company as a respondent, as the Ceylon Electricity Board is currently undergoing restructuring.

The petition, filed by attorney-at-law Vijitha Kumara, states that Namal Rajapaksa’s wedding celebrations were held at the Weeraketiya residence from September 12 to 15, 2019.

According to the petitioner, the electricity supplied for the event amounted to Rs. 2,682,246.57.

The petition states that MP D.V. Chanaka had requested the then Minister of Power and Energy to provide security lighting to the residence and surrounding areas during the celebrations.

The minister had subsequently instructed electricity authorities to provide the required supply after being informed that members of the family were prepared to settle the relevant charges, the petition claims.

However, the petitioner alleges that the bill remains unpaid and that the respondents abused their authority to obtain the electricity supply and avoid payment.

The petitioner further states that the CEB disconnected the electricity supply to his residence over the non-payment of a monthly bill of Rs. 7,390, while no such action was taken over the substantially larger bill connected to the Weeraketiya residence.

Claiming that this amounted to unequal treatment before the law, the petitioner has sought a declaration that his fundamental rights guaranteed under Article 12(1) of the Constitution were violated.

Former State Minister Sanath Nishantha had, before his death, told the media that he had settled the electricity bill incurred for Namal Rajapaksa’s wedding. (Newswire)

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