Gotabhaya's appeal against Special High Court order to be taken up for hearing on May 17

The Appeal Court has announced that the revised petition filed by former defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa against an order issued by the Sepcial High Court on the D A Rajapaksa memorial museum case will be taken up for hearing on May 17.

Mr. Rajapaksa had filed a revision petition at the Appeal Court against the Special High Court's decision to reject his preliminary objections on the jurisdiction of the latter to hear the case.

Meanwhile, the Attorney General filed preliminary objections against the decision to hear the appeal, by claiming that the Court of Appeal has not been vested with the powers to do so.

During today's hearing, Additional Solicitor General Priyantha Nawana had insisted that appeal or revision petitions against the Special High Court could be filed only at the Supreme Court according to the Judicature Act.

However, President's Counsel Romesh de Silva appearing for the former Defence Secretary had claimed that the Appeal Court could hear revision petitions as per the Penal Code.

The Special High Court had previously also overturned a request filed by him to file a Supreme Court case against the decision to reject the preliminary objections.

Mr Rajapaksa has been accused of misappropriating state funds upto Rs 33.9 million in the construction of the D.A. Rajapaksa memorial museum.