Rajitha Senaratne expulsion case:

UNP further restrained

Sandasen MARASINGHE

Colombo District Judge Sampath Wijeratne yesterday extended the enjoining order that restrained United National Party Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and UNP from suspending the party membership of Construction and Engineering Services Minister Rajitha Senaratne from the UNP.

The Court also ordered to file objections and answers before August 19.

The Court issued the order after Minister Senaratne filed a plaint before the Court on an earlier date alleging that the defendants had no right to take a decision to suspend his party membership from the UNP as he was informed through a letter dated May 28, 2009.

He submitted that UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake in a letter dated May 28, 2009 stated that the UNP had learnt that Rajitha Senaratne accepted the position of Sri Lanka Freedom Party organiser for Beruwela and asked him to show cause before July 15 not to suspend his party membership from the UNP.

Minister Senaratne filed the plaint citing the UNP, its Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, its General Secretary Tissa Attanayake and 89 others as the defendants.