Senadhipathi, 12 others indicted on 7,573 counts

Attorney General Dappula de Livera PC yesterday filed indictments in the Avant-Garde arms trafficking case on 7,573 counts at the Colombo High Court Trial-At-Bar on 13 defendants, including its Avant Garde Chairman Nissanka Senadhipathi, AG’s co-ordinating officer, State Counsel Nishara Jayaratne said.  

On an earlier occasion the AG had requested the Chief Justice to appoint three-judge High Court to Trial-at-Bar to try the Avant Garde’s floating armoury case after taking into consideration the nature of the offences and the complex nature of the available evidence.  Indictments were filled against Rakna Lanka Company,  Avant-Garde Maritime Services, retired Major General Palitha Fernando, retired Major General Karunaratne Egodawele, retired Air Vice Marshal P.D. Premachandra, Rakna Lanka Chairman Victor Samaraweera, Don Albert Tillekaratne, Avant-Garde Chairman Nissanka Senadhipathi, retired Navy Commodore Vishvajith Nandana Diyabalanage, Nilupul de Costa, Ukrainian Gennadiy Gavrylov - the captain of ‘MV Avant Garde, former Additional Defence Secretary Saman Dissanayake and former Senior Additional Defence Secretary Damayanthi Jayaratne.  

The AG had requested the CJ to appoint three-judge HC Trial at Bar