Appeals Court issues writ order canceling appointment of RDA Director General

The Court of Appeal has issued a writ order canceling the decision made to appoint S.M.P. Suriya Bandara as the Director General of the Road Development Authority (RDA) in 2024.

The Appeals Court also directed the Road Development Authority and the Minister of Transport and Highways to appoint K.W. Kandambi as the Director General effective from March 5, 2024.

The order was delivered by the Court of Appeal bench comprising Acting President of the Court of Appeal Mohamed Laffar Tahir and Justice Sarath Dissanayake, following the hearing of a writ petition filed by K.W. Kandambi, challenging the appointment.

President’s Counsel Faiszer Mustapha, appearing on behalf of the petitioner, informed the court that his client is a civil engineer and an experienced staff member who has served the Road Development Authority for nearly 23 years.

He also pointed out that examinations were held for the post of Director General of the Road Development Authority, and the petitioner had obtained 61 marks in the interview.

However, despite receiving fewer marks than the petitioner, S.M.P. Suriya Bandara was appointed to the position on March 5, 2024, according to the decision taken by the Authority, President’s Counsel Mustapha noted.

He further argued before the bench that appointing a candidate who scored fewer marks than his client was against the law and requested an order to nullify that decision.

Considering the facts presented, Acting President of the Court of Appeal Mohamed Laffar Tahir stated in delivering the judgment that the respondents had acted in violation of the appointment procedures during the recruitment process.

Accordingly, the Court of Appeal bench determined that the process was entirely unlawful and subsequently issued the relevant orders.