A petition has been submitted to the Court of Appeal seeking to nullify a recent directive by the Ministry of Defense requiring individuals to return firearms issued for personal protection.
The petition was filed by H.D. Navinthaka de Silva, the owner of the Avenra Hotel Group, who named the Secretary of the Ministry of Defense, the Director of the State Intelligence Service, and the Acting Inspector General of Police as respondents.
According to the petition, de Silva obtained firearms under a license from the Ministry of Defense in 2012 or 2013, due to serious threats to his safety. He also highlighted that his hotels were damaged during the civil unrest in 2022, leaving him in a vulnerable position.
De Silva claims that on October 7, 2023, the Secretary of Defense issued an announcement ordering the return of all firearms issued under licenses, which he believes puts his life at risk as a businessman. He further states that his appeal against the decision was unsuccessful.
In the petition, filed through President’s Counsel Sanath Wijayawardena, de Silva has requested the Court of Appeal to issue a writ invalidating the Defense Ministry’s notification. He also asked for an interim restraining order to prevent the enforcement of the order until the court reaches a final decision.
