Cabinet to reconsider legality of electronic visa issuance agreements, court told

The Attorney General informed the Supreme Court today that the current Cabinet of Ministers has decided to reconsider the legality of the agreements entered into during the tenure of the previous government to hand over electronic visa issuance operations to private companies.Additional Solicitor General Viveka Siriwardena, appearing on behalf of the Attorney General, made this announcement when the fundamental rights petitions filed by former Members of Parliament President’s Counsel M.A. Sumanthiran, Patali Champika Ranawaka, and current Member of Parliament Rauff Hakeem, challenging the decision taken by the then Cabinet of Ministers to hand over the electronic visa issuance process to private companies during the previous government’s tenure, were called today.The petitions were called before a three-member Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena, Justice Achala Wengappuli, and Justice Arjuna Obeyesekere, said Ada Derana reporter.Presenting facts before the court when the relevant petitions were called, the Additional Solicitor General stated that the current Cabinet has appointed a subcommittee to investigate the legality of the agreements entered into with private companies regarding the electronic visa issuance process.Stating that the committee is currently studying the relevant cases, the Additional Solicitor General requested a date to report on the progress of those activities.At that stage, President’s Counsel M.A. Sumanthiran, one of the petitioners, made submissions before the court, noting that although the current government has decided to cancel the transaction, they intend to proceed with the petition.The President’s Counsel stated that members of the current Cabinet of Ministers have been named as respondents in the petition.Accordingly, the judge bench directed the petitioners to take steps to issue notices to the members of the current Cabinet of Ministers and ordered that the petition be called again on September 29.