Tiran Alles? Passport impounded

Razeena Razick

COLOMBO: Colombo Chief Magistrate Sarojini Kusala Weerawardane yesterday impounded the passport of Tiran Alles former Chairman of Aviation Authority and Chairman of Maubima Newspaper who is currently under investigation for his alleged links with the LTTE.

The Magistrate also extended the detention of Dushyantha Basnayake and another suspect already in custody in connection with the same offence.

The Magistrate impounded Tiran Alles? passport following a TID request as they need to conduct further inquiries on the suspect?s alleged funding of the LTTE. The Chief Magistrate considering the submissions produced by the TID issued an order to bar the suspect from leaving the country.

Following the order Alles appeared before the Colombo Magistrate?s Court yesterday and surrendered his Passport to the Court?s Registrar. President?s Counsel Nalin Ladduwahetty appeared on behalf of Alles and Dushyantha Basnayake.

Counsel told court that the TID has produced Dushyantha Basnayake and the other suspect on Wednesday whereas they were supposed to have been produced yesterday(27) and that this was unfair from the defendant?s point of view since they(Counsel) were denied access to meet Basnayake who is in the TID custody.

The TID submitted to court that they were conducting investigations pertaining to the land which Communication Business Equipment (CBE) has purchased in Pitakotte in the name of Anna Lakshmi who is the mother of Emil Kanthan, a leader of the LTTE intelligence unit. They also submitted that they have obtained an order from the Gangodawila Magistrate to seal the land by deploying security men.

The Chief Magistrate issued sixty day detention order on the suspects and ordered that the suspects be produced on April 26.