Sajin Vass released again on bail

Fo r mer Fo r e i g n Ministry Monitoring Parliamentarian Sajin Vass Gunawardena was released on bail on Friday by the Colombo Magistrate's Court in connection with charges of intimidating and forcibly obtaining money from a businessman.

Chief Magistrat e Gihan Pilapitiya ordered to release him on cash bail of Rs. 500,000 and with four sureties of five million rupees each. The Chief Magistrate also issued a travel ban on the suspect and ordered him to report to the Registrar of the Chief Magistrate's Court every Friday.

The bail order was sequel to submissions by Gunawardena's lawyer Anuja Premaratne who told court to release the suspect as there was no evidence of the suspect interfering with witnesses. The counsel also told court that the CID was maliciously filing charges against his client.

He also told court the CID had said if Vass Gunawardena's accountant was not assisting it in the investigations he too could be charged.

Earlier on Thursday, the CID simultaneously recorded statements at the Colombo Magistrate's Cour t . f rom both Gunawarrdena and his accountant on the money laundering charges.

The CID arrested Gunawardena on June 27, on charges of intimidation and forcibly obtaining money from the businessman, while the investigations into the laundering charge of some 600 million rupees was being carried out.

The inquiry was put off for July 29.