News
CID agrees to pay for Keheliya case indictment documents; cost reduced from 1.5m to Rs. 866, 565
View(s):By Ranjith Padmasiri
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has agreed to bear the cost of printing more than 2000 pages of documents that will serve as extracts in the trial against 12 accused over the importation of counterfeit immunoglobulin vials.
The Department of Government Printing had earlier estimated that the total cost of printing this material would amount to about Rs. 1.5 million. After discussions between the CID and the Government Printer however, this amount had been reduced to Rs. 866, 565, Deputy Solicitor General (DSG) Lakmini Girihagama, who appeared for the prosecution, informed Colombo High Court Trial-at-Bar on Friday.
Former Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella is among the 12 accused who are to be indicted in the case.
About 20 folders running into more than 2000 pages are to be compiled for the trial.
When the case was called before the three-member Trial-at-Bar on Friday, 10 of the accused who had summons issued on them were present in court.
DSG Girihagama informed court that only the indictments were available before court as the extracts had not been printed yet, with the Government Printer informing that they would need at least 21 days to print them. As such, she requested court for a date after that 21-day period. The bench, comprising High Court Judges Mahesh Weeraman (President), Amali Ranaweera and Pradeep Abeyrathna accordingly postponed further hearing into the case until September 16, and ordered for the accused to be present in court on that date.
The first accused, Sudath Fernando, was not present in court on Friday. DSG Girihagama said the accused was currently in remand custody and requested court to issue a summons to the prison for him to be produced in court on the next court date. The request was granted.
The DSG also informed court that an Interpol ‘Red Notice’ has been obtained for the arrest of Dr. Jayanath Buthpitiya, an accused in the same case who had left for the UK on duty leave on December 11, 2023, but had failed to return.
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