24 November 2016 08:34 am
Election Commissioner Deshapriya asserted this while giving evidence before High Court Judge N.V.Karunathilaka led by Senior State Counsel Thusith Mudalige during the Sil cloth case.
He further said that there was a circular issued on November 21, 2014 to all government Departments, the IGP, Provincial Secretaries, the Bribery Commission, the tri forces etc to prevent election corruption during the residential election period in 2014.
However, on a day while on his way to Anuradhapura an unknown person carrying a parcel that contained Sil cloths complained to him alleging of an illegal distribution of Sil cloths by some persons; said the Commission of Elections to the Judge.
The Commissioner also said that he took appropriate steps to stop the distribution of Sil cloth. But cannot recall whether he gave any written instructions to his officers to stop the distribution of Sil cloths.
Cross examined by President Counsel Kalinga Indatissa the witness said that he cannot tell who had put Mahinda Rajapaksa’s election campaign leaflet into the packets of Sil cloth that were distributed.
Further hearing postponed for December 8.
The former TRC Chairman Vithana Palpita Koralage Anusha Palpita and former President Mahinda Rajapaksa Secretary Lalith Chandra Kumar Weeratunge were indicted before the Colombo High Court by the Attorney General for committing a monitory loss of Rs 600 million to the TRC during 30th October 2014 to January 05 2015 by crediting Rs 600 million to the Bank of Ceylon Taprobane Branch account number 7040016 in the name of Lalith Weeratunge was a punishable offence under the Public Property Act. (T. Farook Thajudeen)