Premier's Secretary issued notice

Sandasen MARASINGHE

Colombo High Court Judge Deepali Wijesundara on Wednesday issued notice on the Secretary to the Prime Minister to appear before the Court on May 15 to make a statement in connection with the Ceasefire Agreement entered into between Ranil Wickremesinghe and the LTTE of which the original copy was kept at the Prime Minister's Office.

The Court issued the notice following the Peace Secretariat submitting a copy of the Ceasefire Agreement entered into between Ranil Wickremesinghe and the LTTE before the Court in connection with the case indicted against J.S. Thissanayagam under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. The Attorney General Department filed indictment against Jeyaprakasan Sittappalam Thissanayagam with three counts for conspiring to publish North Eastern Monthly magazine between June 01, 2006 to June 01, 2007 and publishing the magazine as a result of the conspiracy. The publication was defaming the government and arousing racism. According to the indictment he had obtained funds from Non Government Organizations for publishing the magazine.

Deputy Chairman of Disaster Relief Monitoring Unit of the Human Rights Commission Y. K. de Silva, when he was examined by the Defence Counsel said that he went to Vakerai area twice in 2006. The people who were displaced due to the tsunami catastrophe were settled down there. They also had to undergo difficulties owing to the operations in that area.

State Counsel Sudarshana de Silva appeared for prosecution while Attorney-at-Law Anil Silva and Attorney-at-Law M.A. Sumandiram appeared for the defence.