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| Thursday, 20 January 2005 |
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by Sarath Malalasekera Both former Telecom Chairman Thilanga Sumathipala and the Chief prosecution witness testifying against him were absent in court yesterday following anonymous death threats received by them, the court was told yesterday. When the Thilanga Sumathipala case was called yesterday before the Colombo Chief Magistrate and Additional District Judge Sarojini Kusala Weerawardena, Deputy Solicitor General Vijith Malalgoda informed court that the prosecution witness who was to give evidence yesterday did not come to court as he had received death threats over the phone. At this stage President's Counsel Gamini Marapana, Senior Counsel for Thilanga Sumathipala, brought to the notice of the court that his client also had received death threats and as a result was not present in court. Sumathipala had made a complaint to the Maradana police yesterday in connection with the death threats to him. The President's Counsel also told court that a photographer who took several pictures of the house of Thilanga Sumathipala at Borella yesterday afternoon was also taken into custody. Earlier, the Court ordered Thilanga Sumathipala to make a complaint to the Maradana Police regarding his security until the completion of the case before court. The Judge made this order on the last occasion, when President's Counsel Gamini Marapana said that his client who is now on bail had received several death threats and have huge conspiracy against him and moved court to direct the police to provide the same security for him until the completion of the case before the Colombo Magistrate court. Sumathipala who is on bail is facing charges under the Immigration and Emigration Act for aiding and abetting Dhammika Perera alias Dhammika Amarasinghe to travel to England to witness the World Cup cricket series in 1999 on a forged passport. President's Counsel Gamini Marapana with Dr. Harsha Cabral, Navin Marapana, Ranjan Srikantha and Wasantha Batagoda instructed by Priyantha Upali Amerasinghe appeared for Sumathiapala. |
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