Danuwana Tillekeratne ancitipatory bail application:

Order reserved for Feb 10

Sarath Malalasekera

Colombo Fort Magistrate and Additional District Judge Lanka Jayaratne yesterday reserved the order for February 10 in respect of an anticipatory bail application by Senior Counsel for Danuwana Tillekeratna, son-in-law of Sarath Fonseka.

The Judge made this order after lengthy submissions by Senior State Counsel Dammith Totawatta and Senior Defence Counsel Saliya Peiris.

Senior State Counsel Dammith Totawatta objecting to the anticipatory bail application by Danuwana Tillekeratne said the investigations in connection with the arms deal had revealed that the Sri Lankan Company had forwarded several forged documents to a foreign company in respect of the contract.

The Senior State Counsel in his lengthy submissions told court that the Power of Attorney issued by the Foreign Company had stated that they never supply any items to the Sri Lankan Defence. They also stated that they have not received any money in respect of the arms transaction.

According to the CID investigations a massive fraud had been committed. The investigations into the fraud had also not been completed. The CID had not recorded any statement from the applicant who had submitted an anticipatory bail application before court, the Senior State Counsel said.

Senior Defence Counsel Saliya Peiris said the CID is attempting to arrest his client for unbailable offence. The Senior Defence Counsel moved court to grant anticipatory bail for his client and said the ‘B’ report before court had not mentioned that his client is wanted by the CID in connection with their ongoing investigations.

There is not an iota of evidence to arrest his client in connection with any arms deal under the Public Property Act. “This is only to harass my client,” the Senior Defence Counsel said.

At this stage the Senior State Counsel said that the CID had informed the applicant in this anticipatory bail application to appear before the CID on February 1, but he had admitted to a hospital. Later the CID found out that he had left the hospital on the same evening. The CID is unaware about his whereabouts upto yesterday.