COLOMBO, May 14 -- The Colombo High Court on Thursday (14) rejected a preliminary objection raised by the defence in the money laundering case against Yoshitha Rajapaksa, the son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, allowing the trial to proceed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

The ruling was delivered by Colombo High Court Judge Udesh Ranatunga.

The defence had argued that the conspiracy charge against the defendant could not be legally maintained. However, delivering the order, Judge Ranatunga held that the preliminary objection lacked merit and found no legal impediment to continuing proceedings on the relevant charge.

Following the ruling, the indictment was formally read out to Yoshitha Rajapaksa in open court.

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