SOME DEFENCE COUNSEL REQUESTED FAVOURS: DIRECTOR CID
At the onset of the inquiry, President’s Counsel Shavendra Fernando and Counsel Asith Siriwardena raised a question over the inclusion of some details relating to them made by the prosecution on February 8, 2018 in the B report.
In February, the prosecution in a further report had included about some alleged involvement of the two defence counsel in the investigations. These details only appeared in the B report as they were not expressed to the Magistrate in open court.
Rejecting those allegations, the Defence counsel were of the view that it was totally false as the Prosecution had attempted to tarnish their reputation using the B report maliciously.
While the Prosecution and the Defense were contesting on this inclusion made by the prosecution into the B report, Director of the CID said what actually was included. He said Counsel Asith Siriwardena, who currently appeared for the second suspect of the inquiry (Sumith Ranasinghe) had visited the CID Director some time back (in 2013) and insisted not to name his client as a suspect into the inquiry.
Additionally, Mr. Shani Abeysekara also revealed that some suspects including D.K.P. Dasanayake had also met two Attorney General’s Department officers with the assistance of Counsel Asith Siriwardena prior to those individuals are named as suspects into the inquiry.
However, Counsel Asith Siriwardena denied all the allegations and maintained that he had not solicited such request from the Director of the CID. And also challenge
the CID Director to prove such an alleged involvement of his in assisting those individuals to meet people in the AG Department.
The Defence counsel also drew the Court attention on the fact that why these facts suddenly came into light as they happened sometime back.
Explaining about the other inclusion into the B report on Shavendra Fernando PC, CID Director said that he had instructed him and the OIC of the CID who conducted the abduction inquiry to avoid getting down certain people into the investigation when Mr. Fernando was serving as a Deputy Solicitor General of the Attorney General’s Department.
According to the Director, this has happened during the time period where three ‘Habeas corpus’ cases were being inquired at the Chief Magistrate’s Court, where Mr. Fernando appeared for the respondents.
After listening to some lengthy submissions of the counsel, the Fort Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne directed the CID to prevent including irrelevant facts in the B report if those facts are outside of the inquiry.
When the Magistrate asked to be more certain on such alleged individuals, Counsel Seneviratne said “Former Navy Commander Wasantha Karannagoda was one of them and why he was not named yet as a suspect is a serious question”.
When questioned by the Magistrate, SSC Janaka Bandara said that they will thoroughly look into the materials collected in the whole inquiry within three months and report to court on the process of further legal actions of indictments.