Court suspends divestiture process of Lanka Hospitals

Colombo, Feb 28 (Daily Mirror) - The Court of Appeal today issued an interim order preventing the authorities from proceeding with the divestiture process of the Lanka Hospitals Corporation PLC, until March 12.

The Court of Appeal made this order pursuant to a writ petition filed by Lyca Leasing Holding Limited and HAIMS International Limited challenging the refusal to consider the petitioners’ application for prequalification in the Request for Qualification (RFQ) for the strategic divestiture of 51.34% of the Lanka Hospitals Corporation PLC.

Upon the oral submissions made by President’s Counsel Kuvera De Zoysa, Court of Appeal Justice D.N. Samarakoon issued notices on respondents, returnable for March 12.
The Court of Appeal Registrar is directed to issue notice forthwith and also, the interim order to the respondents through ordinary means and also, to communicate over telephone and fax if the petitioners pay charges.

The petitioners named Minister of Finance Ranil Wickremesinghe, State Minister of Finance Shehan Semasinghe, the members of the special Cabinet-appointed negotiating committee for the purpose of selecting pre-qualified bidders for the strategic divestiture pertaining to 51.34% shares of Lanka Hospitals PLC and several others as respondents.

Kuvera De Zoysa, PC with Raslka Dissanayake, Sajana de Zoysa, Dinusha Pathirana and Shablr Huzalr instructed by Sanath Wijewardane appeared for the petitioners.