Giving false evidence: Ravi can be a suspect: Magistrate

Colombo Chief Magistrate Ranga Dissanayake today clarified his order on Ravi Karunanayake being named as a suspect, observing that the order does not say he cannot be a suspect in the inquiry but questions the process by which he was named a suspect.

He said this when a motion was taken into consideration in the magisterial inquiry on former minister Mr. Karunanayake in connection with giving false testimony at the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) on August 2 last year.

The Magistrate previously made an order on October 8 directing certain individuals and the Global Transportation & Logistic Ltd (GTL) to provide details requested by the prosecution on or before October 22. In this order the Magistrate had also observed the way in which Mr. Karunanayake had been named a suspect and that it was not legally correct.

Filing a motion at the outset of the inquiry, President's Counsel Shavendra Fernando, who appeared for GTL, which has connections to former Mr. Karunayake, requested Court to allow two more weeks to comply with the October 8 order directing GTL to provide details of bank statements, vouchers, fund transactions, decisions of directors, etc., between January 2015 and August 2017.

However, when the Chief Magistrate asked why time was needed, the defense counsel said they needed more time to obtain more legal advice because the prosecution's request for the details contained some confidential matters as well. The defense counsel said these details covered a period of more than two years and that was the reason for requesting for more time.

The Chief Magistrate observed that the court could not consider the need for more time on an order already given. He said if a party did not agree with the order, there is legal provision to file a revision application in the High Court and seek relief against the order. (Shehan Chamika Silva)