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Udatalawinna mass murder : 

CID ordered to provide security to eye witness Malik

by Kumar Wethasinghe

The Trial-at-Bar hearing the Udatalawinna mass murder yesterday ordered the CID to provide special security and accompany the eye witness Mohamed Abdul Malik to visit his Madawala residence in order to collect his passport to be produced in court on June, 02.

The Trial-at-Bar comprised High Court Judges Eric Basnayake (President), Deepali Wijesundara and Sunil Rajapaksa.

The order was sequel to a situation arose while the Defence Counsel Tirantha Walaliyadde was cross examining witness Malik.

During the cross examination witness indicated that the exact date of his return to Sri Lanka could be ascertained from his passport. Then the counsel on both sides urged court to let them examine the witnesses passport.

Under further cross examination by Defence Counsel Tirantha Walaliyadde the eye witness of the Udatalawinna incidents Mohamed Abdul Malik on December 5, 2001 continued his evidence yesterday.

The witness Malik said he had actively canvassed for two major elections. Firstly he had supported the candidature of the Kandy district SLFP candidate Anuruddha Ratwatte. At the last election held on December 5, 2001 he had supported the UNP candidate Rauff Hakeem.

The witness said he was familiar with Lohan and Chanuka Ratwatte since the time he supported the SLFP.

On the day of the last General Elections held on December 5, 2001, the witness had seen both Lohan and Chanuka going up and down in a Defender Cab.

The witness further testified he was a supporter of Gen. Ratwatte from the age of 16.

Asked whether that statement was truthful the witness said it was true and that he wholeheatedly worked for Ratwatte.

In 2001 elections the witness supported the UN for nearly one month.

Q: Do you find the date you returned to Sri Lanka from Saudi Arabia in your passport? yes.

Q: Why didn't you produce it here? It is at home.

Q: Why didn't you get down your passport? My home people don't know where I stay here and I don't visit home.

Q: In your police statement you had stated that you returned to Sri Lanka from Saudi in April 2001? I may have said but I can't remember the date.

Court- Q: Try to remember and answer? I can't without referring to the passport.

Q: Where is the passport? It's at home.

Q: Can you bring it for the next hearing? I can but I can't travel - there without protection.

Q: Can't you get it down through someone? No it's with my personal items only I have access to them.

At this stage the court decided that the passport of the witness was vital to ascertain his foreign visits and the dates of arrival in Sri Lanka.

Thereafter, the Trial-at-Bar ordered the CID to provide special security and accompany witness Mohamed Abdul Malik to his Madawala residence to collect the passport to be produced in court.

The court also decided that further cross examination may also be put off until the passport was produced on June 20.

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Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
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