Lalith Kotelawela case: State objections fixed for March 26

Sandasen MARASINGHE

Colombo High Court Judge Deepali Wijesundara yesterday fixed March 26 for filing objections by the Attorney General in respect of the bail application filed by the Chairman of the Ceylinco Consolidated Group of Companies, Lalith Kotelawela.

When the application was taken up before Court, Deputy Solicitor General Sarath Jayamanne appearing for the Attorney General inquired if the appellant would continue with this application based on the grounds that appellant had not pleaded for bail at the Magistrate's Court. The appellant should plead bail before the Magistrate first it was said.

Filing the bail application Lalith Kotelawela said that he had been granted a surety bail of Rs 2.5 million in connection with the Golden Key Credit Card Company deposit misappropriation matter. But later he was remanded on February 23, by the Mount Lavinia Magistrate without a request by Attorney General. Kotelawela cited OIC of the Commercial Crime Division of the CID M. Abeysinghe and the Attorney General as the respondents.

DSG Sarath Jayamanne making his submission stated that nowhere in this application was it mentioned that making Kotelawela a suspect of this case was wrong and further the application did not say that there were no sufficient facts to make him a suspect.

DSG Jayamanne further stated that the first B-report in this respect was produced to the Magistrate on December 26.

He was only a witness in this case. According to the appellant, he himself had directed this matter to the Criminal Investigation Department.

The appellant and his wife were subjected to a bond at the Court on December 26. But appellant's wife Sicille Kotelawela left the country on December 30.

They have plenty of connections abroad. DSG Jayamanne also submitted that two months of investigations revealed that there were sufficient facts to make Kotelawela a suspect in this case. So far he was a witness in this case. Thereafter, Kotelawela was made a suspect in this case and was remanded on February 26.

The Court fixed March 26 for filing objections by the Attorney General.

DSG Sarath Jayamanne, SSC Gihan Kulathunga, SSC Damith Thotawatta and SSC Sudarshana de Silva appeared for Attorney General while C.R. De Silva (PC) and U.R. De Silva and Kuvera De Soyza appeared for Lalith Kotelawela.