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Further Solicitor Normal Dileepa Peiris said yesterday (11) earlier than the Fort Justice of the Peace’s Courtroom that former Presidential Secretary Saman Ekanayake acted to hide the truth that former President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s go to to the College of Wolverhampton in Britain, to obtain an honorary diploma conferred upon his spouse, was a non-public journey, despite the fact that he was conscious of it.
The Further Solicitor Normal made these remarks when the criticism relating to the alleged aiding and abetting of former President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s non-public go to to London on September 22 and 23, 2023, which reportedly brought on a lack of Rs. 16.2 million to the federal government, was referred to as earlier than Fort Justice of the Peace Isuru Neththi Kumara. Ranil Wickremesinghe has been launched on bail in reference to the incident, and Saman Ekanayake has been named because the second suspect.
When the criticism was referred to as, Saman Ekanayake, who’s at present in jail, was introduced to the courtroom by jail officers. Following the submission of an additional investigation report by the Felony Investigation Division relating to the incident, Further Solicitor Normal Dileepa Peiris said that some politicians and legal professionals are making varied statements outdoors the courtroom regarding the incident, thereby influencing witnesses.
Mr. Dileepa Peiris additionally stated this:
Earlier than presenting additional details of this incident to the courtroom, the incidents that occurred earlier than the courtroom within the final courtroom session ought to be dropped at the courtroom’s consideration. Within the final courtroom session, some people displayed varied placards earlier than the courtroom and made varied statements to the media. Some legal professionals who make such statements to the media say nothing on this courtroom. They reply outdoors to the details we current to the courtroom. That is an affect and intimidation of the Legal professional Normal’s Division and the prosecution.
This precedent set by white-collar criminals may also be adopted by underworld members tomorrow or the day after. Subsequently, this ought to be allowed. In response, the Justice of the Peace said {that a} courtroom can not impose restrictions on a person expressing an opinion. He additionally added that if an offense is revealed beneath Article 15/7 of the Structure, motion will be taken towards it.
He additionally emphasised that the legal professionals of the suspects ought to make sure that their work doesn’t hinder investigations. Additional elaborating on the incident, Mr. Dileepa Peiris additionally said: “It can’t be stated that the suspect is a corrupt state official. Nonetheless, he behaves like an skilled felony. In accordance with his assertion, the previous President’s journey to London was merely a stopover. However solely the suspect. Nonetheless, we request the courtroom’s permission to name for a report from the Authorities Handwriting Examiner relating to a observe positioned on a letter despatched by the suspect regarding the journey and to research it.”
In response, the Justice of the Peace ordered that the related report be despatched to the Authorities Analyst and the related memorandum be submitted to the courtroom. Legal professional Kalinga Indratissa, representing the suspect, made submissions requesting bail.
He identified that the suspect is an individual with 39 years of unblemished public service and that he can not affect an official journey of a President. The lawyer additionally identified that this journey was organized by Ambassador Saroja Sirisena of the British Excessive Fee, and the associated actions had been carried out by the Ministry of International Affairs. It was additionally identified that the funds for the previous President’s overseas journeys was determined by the Excessive Fee. He requested that his shopper, who has an unblemished character and can’t make selections relating to the President’s journey, be granted bail
on bail.
Further Solicitor Normal Dileepa Peiris, representing the federal government, said that he’s fully against granting bail to the suspect. He stated that the suspect secretary is the chief accounting officer and bears full accountability for the misuse of public funds. Mr. Dileepa Peiris additionally stated this:
There’s a distance of about 2 hundred kilometers between London and the college you talked about. How can the suspect say that is simply an trade when that is the case? He has full data of this journey. This suspect is the one who affixed the official seal to a fraudulent journey that squandered public funds. If public cash was misused for journeys, directions have been given to research towards former President’s spouse Maithree Wickremesinghe and Sanda Perera as properly.
Contemplating the submissions made by each events, the Justice of the Peace ordered the suspect to not make statements to the media whereas in jail, as his rights are restricted in such circumstances. Whereas particular causes will not be often required to grant bail in a standard case, particular causes have to be thought-about when granting bail on this investigation beneath the Public Property Act. Subsequently, after contemplating the submissions made by each events, the Justice of the Peace ordered that the choice on whether or not to grant bail or not shall be introduced on the 18th. The suspect was additionally ordered to be remanded till then.