Jaffna Court summons Rambukwella

BY Mirudhula Thambiah -2016-02-04

The Jaffna Magistrate's Court yesterday withdrew an arrest warrant issued on former Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella after he appeared in Court to give evidence in the case related to the disappearance of Lalith Kumar Weeraraj and Kugan Murugananthan in 2011.

Rambukwella reportedly said at that time that Lalith and Kugan were in State custody and that their place of detention could not be revealed. The arrest warrant was issued against Rambukwella following his statement.

Magistrate S. Sathiskaran ordered Police to record statements from Rambukwella to elaborate on that statement of his, relating to the disappearance of Lalith and Kugan. When Court issued summons on the former Minister on
9 November 2015, he failed to answer summons forcing Court to issue an arrest warrant on him.

The case will be taken up for hearing on 13 May, and the Magistrate ordered the former Minister to be sure to appear in Court on that day to explain his 2011 statement on Lalith and Kugan.

JVP dissidents Lalith and Kugan went missing on 9 December, 2011 while preparing to launch the Front Line Socialist Party in Jaffna. The protest march was organized by We Are Sri Lankans (WASL) and was to include a leaflet distribution campaign along the A9 road from Kilinochchi to Jaffna.