Customs Director General summoned for failing to appear before court in the case of Shashi Weerawansa


Tue, Aug 29, 2017

Aug 29, Colombo: A Sri Lankan court today issued summons to the Director General of Customs Chulananda Perera for failing to appear before court as a witness of the case against Shashi Weerawansa, wife of former minister and NFF leader Wimal Weerawansa.

Shashi Weerawansa is accused of using forge documents to obtain diplomatic and general passports when her husband was a minister of the former government.

When the case was heard before Colombo Chief Magistrate today, Deputy Solicitor General Dileep Peiris informed the court that a letter had been sent to the Magistrate directly saying that witness Chulananda Perera could not be present in court today due to official duties.

He pointed out that if a witness is unable to come, he should inform the court through the Criminal Investigations Department and witnesses cannot send letters directly to the magistrate.

Colombo Chief Magistrate Lal Ranasinghe Bandara accepting the Deputy Solicitor General's request, ordered to issue notice for Chulananda Perera to appear before the court on 9 October to show cause.
Meanwhile, lawyers appearing for Mrs. Weerawansa asked the court to release her passport impounded by the court to enable her to travel to China. The Deputy Solicitor General of the Government objected to the request.

The Court ordered to issue a certified copy of the passport in the court in order to obtain a passport.
Sashi Weerawansa is alleged to have obtained diplomatic and general passports by submitting birth certificates with forged names and dates of birth. She had applied for a diplomatic passport in 2010 by submitting false personal information which was different to what appears in her previous normal passport that expired on May 24, 2009.


The former Controller General of Department of Immigration and Emigration Chulananda Perera has testified that he issued the passport on a written request made by the former minister, Wimal Weerawansa.