The Supreme Court today overruled the preliminary objections filed by lawyers of UPFA MP Namal Rajapaksa over the contempt of court case filed by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption and directed the commission to file charges by October 3.

The case will be heard on October 14, the Supreme Court also directed.

The Director General of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption filed a contempt of court case at the Supreme Court against UPFA MP Namal Rajapaksa on June 30.

The Commission informed court that Rajapaksa had repeatedly ignored summons given to him to appear at the commission to obtain statements on ongoing investigations. The Commission argues that this action by Rajapaksa is a contempt of court under Article 20 (3) (a) of the Bribery Act.

On August 3, Namal Rajapaksa, through his lawyers, filed a preliminary objection against the contempt of court case filed by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption.

Through this objection, Rajapaksa argues that the certificate by the commission has not been properly filed through a petition and an affidavit. It has only been filed through a motion and therefore it should be discarded on procedural grounds, Rajapaksa argues.

However the commission argued that there was no provision for such a declaration under the Bribery Act.