Minister Yapa summoned

Homagama Magistrate Y. R. B. Nelundeniya yesterday ordered that summons be issued on the Minister of Investment Promotion Lakshman Yapa Abeywardene and chief editor of the Lanka newspaper Priyantha Karunaratne to be present in court at the next hearing of the Prageeth Ekneligoda disappearance case.

Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardene had made a statement to the Lanka newspaper in January 2012

The magistrate also ordered that warrants be issued on former HQI Charith Jayasundera through the ASP of Homagama and the IGP for not being present in court yesterday, even after being summoned.

These orders were made by the magistrate when the case filed by Sandhya Ekneligoda, wife of Prageeth Ekneligoda was taken up for hearing yesterday at the Homagama Magistrate’s Courts.

Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardene had made a statement to the Lanka newspaper in January 2012, stating that he could not reply to the letter forwarded to him by Sandhya Ekneligoda -the wife of the missing journalist-- due to shortcomings that prevailed in the security establishment.

Accordingly, Attorney Upul Thewarapperuma who represented the complainant requested that evidence needed to be recorded from the minister concerned and from the chief editor of the Lanka newspaper which carried the purported statement.

After having considered this submission the magistrate made the order.

The magistrate also ordered that warrants be issued on former HQI Charith Jayasundera through the ASP of Homagama and the IGP for not being present in court yesterday, even after being summoned He could not reply to the letter forwarded to him by Sandhya Ekneligoda -- the wife of the missing journalist-- due to shortcomings that prevailed in the security establishment