NewsThe Appeal Court today (Oct 15) ruled that former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, prior to the implementation of the19th amendment, could oversee ministries where ministers were yet to take over functions. A three-member judge bench issued this ruling while delivering the final verdict to reject the petition filed against the dual citizenship certificate of Presidential candidate Gotabhaya Rajapaksa this month. Two civil activists, petitioned court arguing that the certificate had been issued by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa in 2005 when a cabinet of ministers was not functioning. They said that citizenship matters had been handled by the Defence Ministry at that time. However, the Appeal Court ruled that Rajapaksa was legally vested with the powers to issue dual citizenship certificates in the absence of a Defence minister in 2005.

Source: Sunday Times October 15, 2019 10:07 UTC