SUMMONS ON PRESIDENT AND PM FOR FOURTH TIME

He had also committed an offence under Section 80-C of the Presidential Election Act for displaying a fake document

The court also postponed the trial against Mr. Attanayake for October 9 for allegedly displaying a fraudulent document to the media during the last presidential election for the purpose of affecting the result of common candidate Maithripala Sirisena.

When the case was taken up for trial before High Court Judge Sashi Mahendran the Judge postponed the case after being observing that President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe were not present in court to give evidence for the prosecution.

Mr. Attanayake was accused to have committed an offence under Section 3(1) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) Act No. 56 of 2007 by inciting racial or religious hatred among ethnic communities.

The relevant section 3(1) of the ICCPR cites that no person shall propagate war or advocate national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to cause discrimination, hostility or violence.

Tissa Attanayake is also alleged to have forged a document which was punishable under Sections 454 and 459 of the Penal Code by and displaying it to the public as genuine. He had also committed an offence under Section 80-C of the Presidential Election Act for displaying a fake document prior to an election, intentionally to affect the result and the character or conduct of common candidate.

The AG has listed 15 persons, including President Maithripala Sirisena, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and UNP General Secretary Kabir Hashim, as witnesses in the case.