15 October 2018 06:13 pm
On this date the Court will also check whether the prosecution had handed over the documents on the case to the defense. The trial will be heard daily beginning October 29.
The three-member bench of the High Court Trial-at-Bar comprising Justices Sampath Wijeratne, Sampath Abeykoon and Champa Janaki Rajaratna had decided on the proceedings after considering the submissions made by defense counsel Gamini Marapone PC.
He said even though the prosecution in the indictment had stated that the incidents had taken place from 2014 onwards, it had in fact begun in 2011 and as such the defense was unable to handle the case without the mentioned documents and requested court to direct the FCID to provide those documents to the defense.
The others in the case are: Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation's former director Piyadasa Kudabalage, Samurdhi Development Department's former director general Neil Bandara Hapuhinna and Lasantha Bandara. The four accused were indicted on charges of criminal misappropriation of public funds amounting to Rs.500 million. (T. Farook Thajudeen)