COLOMBO: In a landmark judgement, Sri Lanka's top court on Tuesday ruled that former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa, ex-prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, former finance minister Basil Rajapaksa and other senior officials violated the fundamental rights of the people by mishandling the economy and causing the unprecedented economic crisis.
Sri Lanka declared economic bankruptcy in April 2022 by announcing its first-ever sovereign default. The island nation was hit by its worst financial crisis in history, with its foreign exchange reserves falling to a critical low and the public coming out on the streets to protest the shortage of fuel, fertilisers and essential commodities.
A five-member bench of the Supreme Court was ruling on the petition filed by Transparency International, Sri Lanka and four other activists in 2022