Lilantha Perera discharged

Ranjith PADMASIRI

COLOMBO: The Colombo Additional Magistrate Gihan Pilapitiya Acting on the advice of the Attorney General, yesterday discharged the former UNP Member of Parliament Lilantha Perera who was on bail following his arrest on a charge of criminally misappropriating a haul of galvanized roofing sheets donated by the Indian Government for distribution among the low income families in Sri Lanka.

The haul recovered by the police on April 30, 2004 consisted of 7510 galvanized roofing sheets worth Rs. 2,628,500 while they were lying for sale at Bloemendhal Street, Kotahena, Colombo.

Of the five suspects charged in this connection, the Attorney General advised the prosecution not to proceed with the case against the two suspects Lilantha Perera and Raju Gnanasekeram who was also discharged yesterday along with Lilantha Perera.

The letter dated September 25, 2006 conveying the Attorney General's decision was signed by Additional Solicitor General Priyasad Dep on behalf of the Attorney General.

In this case, the five suspects who were arrested and remanded included further three suspects, S.P.Shanmugam, Mohammed Nausar and Karuppiah Sivakumar against whom legal action will be proceeded with as advised by the Attorney-General. Accordingly the Magistrate ordered the case to lay by pending further steps.

The Court ordered to release the passports of the two suspects which were in Court custody.