High Court Judge Sunil Rajapaksa warns the Attorney General’s Department

Wednesday, 30 November 2011

Colombo High Court Judge Sunil Rajapaksa has warned the Attorney General’s Department over the failure of Senior State Counsel Damith Thotawatte to appear before courts in the Hi Corp hearing.

Rajapaksa has issued the warning when the Hi Corp case against former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka and his on in-law Dhanuna Thilekaratne was taken up for hearing today. Fonseka and Thilekaratne have been accused of committing a tender fraud by submitting false documents for a tender.

He has said the counsel should not be disrespectful of the court by ignoring it and that the verdicts on this court are different from the other.

He has noted that the Attorney General’s Department would be placed in a difficult situation when incidents such as these are reported by the media and senior state counsel should not ignore courts by not appearing when the case is taken up for hearing.

Rajapaksa has also asked Deputy Solicitor General Buvaneka Aluvihare , who was in the court room at the time to take appropriate action against Damith Thotawatte.

The appeal by the respondent’s side to release Fonseka of the charges in the Hi Corp case since it is similar to one of the court martials held against him was to be taken up today.

The case is to be taken up tomorrow (30).