The Court case in relation to the disappearance of Journalist
Prageeth Ekneliyagoda was taken up for hearing at the Appeals Court in Colombo
on April 24. The hearing opened as the Sandhya’s attorney explained the
proceedings of the case held at the Magistrate Court in Homagama on March 26.
Sandhya’s attorney pointed out that he may have to seek the
intervention of the Appeals Court to summon former Attorney General Mohan Peiris
to testify in Court on his comments made at the UN Committee Against Torture on
November 9, 2011 in Geneva. He noted that AG Pieris was aware that the corpus
was alive overseas, as the Homagama Magistrate has held an order on the same
request with no date specification. The government lawyer re-iterated that his
objection to summon former AG Mohan Peiris remains unchanged on the basis that
the UN document purporting to be the transcript of Mr. Peiris’ statement
submitted to the Court by the petitioner was not entirely accurate and that the
containing statement could have been made on government instructions to which
Mr. Peiris cannot be held personally accountable.
The Appeals Court will allow the Homagama Magistrate to
ascertain the accuracy of the UN transcript of Mohan Peiris’ statement at UN
Committee Against Torture when the case is heard on May 17. A hearing however
will take place on May 31 at the Appeals Court where the proceedings of the May
17 hearing will be submitted. At the May 17 appearance the lawyers will also
cross-examine the last person to speak to Prageeth over the phone.
Sandya eknaligoda , diplomats from US and German Embassies were
present at the court.
- WD, Colombo