Sri Lanka, June 3 -- The Supreme Court today (3), granted permission to hear two fundamental rights petitions alleging that then-President Ranil Wickremesinghe, as the Minister of Finance, violated fundamental human rights by issuing liquor licenses in contravention of the Excise Act after the presidential election was announced.

A Supreme Court bench comprising Justices Yasantha Kodagoda, Janak de Silva, and Mahinda Samayawardena ordered the current Commissioner General of Excise to submit information to the court regarding liquor licenses issued during the period from the date the presidential election was called last year to the date it was held, as well as during the previous year.

The petitions were filed by a group including busin...