News
CID to submit report upon returning from London in probe against Ranil’s visit
View(s):By Ranjith Padmasiri
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has obtained statements from 50 persons so far regarding the investigation into the alleged misuse of Rs. 16.6 million in state funds by former President Ranil Wickremesinghe to attend his wife’s graduation ceremony at a UK university.
A CID team which is currently in the UK as part of this probe recorded statements from four staff members of the Sri Lankan High Commission in London this week. The team is due back in Sri Lanka tomorrow and are due to submit a report upon their return.
Meanwhile, a team of lawyers representing former President Wickremesinghe met with Attorney General Parinda Ranasinghe this week to inquire into the progress of the investigation into their client.
The team of lawyers comprising President’s Counsels Roland Perera, Anuja Premaratne and Eraj De Silva had met the AG, who was joined by Solicitor General Viraj Dayaratne, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Dileepa Peiris and Deputy Solicitor General Wasantha Perera.
The Sunday Times learns that the AG had told Mr. Wickremesinghe’s lawyers that he would be able to offer more clarity regarding the probe once the CID team returns from the UK.
Meanwhile, ASG Peiris informed the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court that investigations into Mr. Wickremesinghe’s visit were 90% complete and that steps will be taken to speedily indict those involved before the high court once the probe is done. The ASG stated this when the motion filed by former President’s Secretary Saman Ekanayake, requesting that the foreign travel ban imposed on him be lifted, was taken up before Fort Additional Magistrate Isuru Neththikumara.
Mr. Ekanayake had filed a motion to have his foreign travel ban lifted in order to visit his daughter, who is preparing for the birth of her child. Mr. Ekanayake’s counsel Kalinda Indatissa, PC, argued that the foreign travel ban against his client should be lifted since he had not been named a suspect in the case. ASG Peiris, representing the CID, opposed the lifting of the foreign travel ban, insisting that Mr. Ekanayake was an essential person in the investigation. He told court that the probe into the invitation letter Mr. Wickremesinghe had allegedly received from the UK university will be completed soon. Mr. Indatissa said they would withdraw their motion if the investigation was completed quickly. As such, the additional magistrate did not issue an order in the case and instructed the CID to file a report on the progress of the investigation on January 28.
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