Tissa Attanayake case: HC RESERVES ORDER TO CONSIDER BAIL TODAY
Colombo High Court yesterday reserved for today to consider bail to former UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake who is in remand till December 5 for preparing a fraudulent documents allegedly by forging the signatures of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and President Maithripala Sirisena during the 2015 Presidential Election.
High Court Judge Sarojini Kusala Weerawardena reserved the order for today on considering the submissions made by Tissa Attanayaka’s Counsel Shavendra Fernanado PC who moved to release his client on bail on considering the special circumstances that were mentioned in the affidavit of his client.
Deputy Solicitor General Wasantha Nawaratna Bandara objecting the Defence Counsel said that the affidavit of the accused contained distorted affirmations. He said those who come before court should come with clean hands. He objected to release the accused on bail.
Earlier the High Court remanded Tissa Attanayake on charges of preparing fraudulent documents allegedly by forging the signatures of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and President Maithripala Sirisena in a document that was displayed in the media during the last Presidential Election for the purpose of affecting the result of then Common Candidate Maithripala Sirisena.
The Attorney General alleged that Tissa Attanayake had 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 the ethnic communities.
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. The AG further alleged that Tissa Attanayake had committed a punishable offence under Sections 454 and 459 of the Penal Code by forging a document and displaying it to the public as genuine and that the accused had also committed an offence under Section 80-C of the Presidential Election Act for displaying a fake document prior to an election, for the purpose of affecting the result of that election in relation to the personal character or conduct of any candidate.
He was also accused of publicly announcing on December 22, 2014 that there was a secret deal between the UNP Leader Ranil Wickremasinghe and the then common opposition candidate Maithripala Sirisena in the run up to the Presidential Elections in 2015,
Attanayake defected the UNP leader Ranil Wickramasinghe and extended support to former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, soon after which he was allotted the Health Minister, position that was left vacant after Sirisena broke ties with Rajapaksa government to become the common opposition candidate published in media during the 2015 Presidential Election.