Former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has agreed to testify in court regarding the enforced disappearances of two Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) political activists, Lalith Kumar and Kugan Murugananthan. The case was taken up in the Supreme Court today (22), marking the first time Rajapaksa has agreed to appear in court over enforced disappearance cases from his tenure as Defence Ministry Secretary.

Lalith and Kugan went missing on 9 December 2011, in Jaffna, when Gotabaya Rajapaksa was the Defence Ministry Secretary. Initially, the Jaffna Magistrate's Court had summoned Rajapaksa to testify about the case. However, Rajapaksa appealed the summons, and the Court of Appeal subsequently quashed the order for him to appear before the Jaffna Magistrate's Court.

Following this, the FSP filed a petition with the Supreme Court. During today's proceedings, Rajapaksa, through his lawyers, expressed his willingness to provide a statement in the case at any court, except for the Jaffna Magistrate's Court, citing security concerns.

Lawyer Nuwan Bopage represented the petitioners at the hearing. The next Supreme Court session is scheduled for 18 March. According to FSP Education Secretary Pubudu Jayagoda, Rajapaksa is expected to appear in court before this date.

The Ministry of Public Security recently announced that several high-profile cases, including the Lalith-Kugan case, would have their investigations expedited.