Pujith Jayasundara and Hemasiri Fernando further remanded

Colombo (News 1st): IGP Pujith Jayasundara who is on compulsory leave and former Secretary of Defence, Hemasiri Fernando, both of whom are under arrest for failing to prevent the April 21st attack were further remanded until the 23rd of December by Colombo Additional Magistrate Priyantha Liyanage. Deputy Solicitor General Dileepa Peiris appearing on behalf of the Attorney General informed the court that the group conducting the probe had recorded statements from former Minister Ranjith Madduma Bandara, 3 former IGPs and 4 former DIGs. He added, the Attorney General had instructed the CID to record statements in this regard from former President Maithripala Sirisena, former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Archbishop of Colombo His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith and several other former ministers. Meanwhile, the bail application which was submitted by Pujith Jayasundara was called up in the presence of Colombo High Court Judge Adithya Patabendige today. Deputy Solicitor General Dileepa Pieris appearing on behalf of the Attorney General requested for more time to file an objection against the bail application. Accordingly, Colombo High Court Judge Adithya Patabendige ordered for the defence to file objections on the 9th of January and ordered for the bail application to be called upon the same day. President's Counsel Anura Meddegoda appearing on behalf of Pujith Jayasundara requested for an interim order to be granted for Pujith Jayasundara to be released from prison for a period of 60 hours starting from the 2nd of January in order for him to attend his son's wedding. In reply, High Court Judge Adithya Patabendige said, once a suspect is remanded, matters pertaining to his custody and administration fall under the purview of the Commissioner-General of Prisons and therefore, the court cannot issue such an order. However, the High Court Judge ordered the Registrar to inform the Commissioner General of Prisons to look into the request. Meanwhile, the bail application filed by former Secretary of Defence Hemasiri Fernando was taken up today in the presence of Colombo High Court Judge Manjula Thilakaratne. Thereafter, the High Court Judge ordered for the bail application to be taken up once again on the 9th of January, in order for objections to be filed by respondents.