Chairman of Avant Garde Maritime Services Nissanka Senadhipathi and six others have been acquitted and released by the Permanent High Court-at-Bar in the Avant Garde case.

Senadhipathy, a former military officer, is a close ally of President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa. He was charged for maintaining a floating armory in an illegal manner violating the country's laws.

The accused were charged under 7,573 counts for violating the Firearms Ordinance, Explosives Ordinance and the Penal Code.