Exclusive: Attorney General’s Recommendations On Gota Arrest: Full Text

April 27, 2015

A leaked report from the Attorney General’s Department on the case against Avant Garde Maritime Services, confirms the Colombo Telegraph report which exposed the Attorney General’s recommendations on the possible arrest of Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

Gotabaya

According the report AG did recommend that the former Secretary to Ministry of Defence Gotabaya Rajapaksa and four others would be arrested for committing offences pertaining to the Unauthorized Importation of Fire Arms to Sri Lanka (Under the Prevention of Terrorism Act and Fire Arms Ordinance), Possession of Fire Arms and Ammunition Without Valid Licenses (Under the Fire Arms Ordinance and Explosives Ordinance) and aonspiracy, aiding and abetting to commit the above offences.

As Colombo Telegraph exclusively reported on March 09, 2015 it was Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe who prevented the arrest of Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

The Attorney General’s Department consulted Prime Minister Wickremesinghe over the recommendation that Gotabaya be taken into custody together with four others for alleged violation of the Firearms Ordinance and other laws. Prime Minister Wickremesinghe has said that the former Defence Secretary should not be taken into custody.

We publish below the report in full:

CR1/58/2015

Hon. Attorney General
Case against Avant Garde Maritime Services and others pertaining to the – Floating Armory

Offences committed -

1.Unauthorized Importation of Fire Arms to Sri Lanka ( Under the Prevention of Terrorism Act and Fire Arms Ordinance)

2 Possession of Fire Arms and ammunition without valid licenses. (Under the Fire Arms Ordinance and Explosives Act)

3. Conspiracy, aiding and abetting to commit the above offences.

Suspects –   

    (1) Nissanka Senadhipathy – Chairman Avant Guarde Maritime Services

(2) Manjulakumara Yapa – Director Avant Guarde Maritime Services,

(3) Gotabhaya Rajapakse – Secretary , Ministry of Defence

(4) Mrs . D.M.S. Jayaratne Addl. Secretary , Ministry of Defence

(5) Major General Palitha Fernando (Rtd.) – Director Chairman Raknalanka Military Liaisons Officer

An investigation by the CID is ongoing in relation to the authority given to the Rakna Lanka Company and Avant Guarde Maritime Services to supply weapons and other related services to the merchant ships and fishing trawlers using weapons belonging to the state and others.             Read More