Extradition of Arjuna Mahendran is handled by Dilrukshi Dias : G.L. Pieris

COLOMBO (News 1st) - Colombo Chief Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne today (September 23) ordered the release of eight suspects, including Gotabaya Rajapaksa, in the case filed by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption. The suspects were released as per an order issued by the Court of Appeal on the 12th of this month. The Chief Magistrate said the eight suspects were released from the charges and that the court had no objection to the Bribery Commission re-prosecuting the eight suspects. Four among the eight, namely Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, Somathilake Dissanayake, Jayaratne Perera, and Sisira Kumara Colombage appeared before the Colombo Chief Magistrate's Court today. The responsibility of informing the 4 suspects who were not present in court was undertaken by the counsel representing the suspects. Colombo Chief Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne informed that the warrant issued for the arrest of the 8th suspect, former Senior Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Defence Damayanthi Jayaratne, for her failure to appear in court will be removed after she is produced in court. The Bribery Commission filed the case at the Colombo Chief Magistrate's Court alleging that the government incurred a loss of Rs 11.4 billion by allowing Avant-Garde Maritime Services to operate a floating armoury. Accepting the appeal filed citing that the case was filed without the written consent of the Bribery Commission the Court of Appeal ordered for the suspects to be released from the case. Attorney General Dappula De Livera had referred the matter of the conversation between Solicitor General Dilrukshi Dias and Avant-Garde Chairman Nissanka Senadhipathi to the Public Services Commission for an inquiry to be carried out. Additional Solicitor General Sanjaya Rajaratne was appointed as the Head of the Civil Division by the Attorney General on a temporary basis. The key duties of the Solicitor General were allocated to the ASG Rajaratnam as well. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe issued a special statement today regarding the respective phone conversation. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, noted that he did not submit any letter recommending Solicitor General Dilrukshi Dias Wickramasinghe to be appointed as a Supreme Court judge claiming that such accusations levelled against him are false. He went on to note that investigations should be carried out immediately into the alleged statements made by Dilrukshi Dias and it would reveal the politicians who attempt to influence this matter. He added that Dilrukshi Dias had never served at Temple Trees and the Anti-Corruption Committee Secretariat was not set-up inside Temple Trees stating that claims made by the President were false. He finally added that if there were any issues against him or the Ministers, such matters could be taken up at cabinet meetings or by inquiring individually and added that he believes that expressing opinions in public is not appropriate within a system of democratic governance. Professor G.L. Peiris the Chairman of the SLPP noted that the former Director-General of the Bribery Commission is currently the Solicitor General of this country and the post is only outranked by the Attorney General. He added that one of many duties of a Solicitor General is selecting officials from the Attorney General's Department for cases filed at the Supreme Court along with legal processes related to extradition. He went on to note that therefore the case of extraditing infamous bond scammer Arjuna Mahendran is assigned to Dilrukshi Dias Wickramasinghe.