SC hangs up on Vasu

By Stanley Samarasinghe

Supreme Court (SC) yesterday dismissed the public litigation Fundamental Rights application filed by Presidential Adviser Vasudeva Nanayakkara against new telecommunications charges on the basis that they could not overturn a previous ruling.
Says it can’t overturn a previous ruling on telecom charges The public activist along with two others was seeking telephone bill reductions. The bench comprising of Justice Gamini Nimal Amaratunga and Justices P. A. Ratnayaka and S. I. Imam dismissed the application after hearing the submissions of counsels who appeared for the respondents.
Telephone Regulatory Commission, its Director General Priyantha Kariyapperuma, Chairman Lalith Weeratunga Sri Lanka Telecom and Attorney General were made respondents by this application.
Nanayakkara with Prof. A. Kumar David and Major General W. J. T. K. Fernando initially filed a Writ Application before Court of Appeal Challenging the Tariff Hike granted to Sri Lanka Telecom by Telephone Regulatory Commission (TRC).
On July 25, 2005 the Court of Appeal declared that the increase of Tariff Granted by TRC was unlawful and ordered to refund to the subscribers. The Sri Lanka Telecom appealed against this judgment to the Supreme Court, and Supreme Court curtail the bill reduction from 20-25% to 9.03%.
Petitioners filed Fundamental Rights Applications stating that respondents did not reveal the correct facts and figures to the court in the appeal and therefore violated the Fundamental Rights of the Petitioners.
Uditha Egelahewa appeared with Ranga Dayaratna for petitioners.
Sanjeewa Jayawardana appeared with Rajeev Amarasinghe for Sri Lanka Telecom.
Deputy Solicitor General S. Rajaratnam appeared for all other respondent with State Counsel S. Dharmawardana.