9 February 2018 06:07 pm
In a joint statement, the Foreign Affairs Ministry and the Law and Order Ministry said Mr. Weeratunga was intercepted in the UAE on Sunday 4th of February 2018 when he attempted to leave to the United States.
“This arrest was made on the basis of a ‘Blue Notice’ issued by the Interpol. The purpose of this notice was to trace and locate Mr. Weeratunga ‘as a person of interest in a criminal investigation’. However, as the law in the UAE and the rules governing Interpol ‘blue notice’ prevented the continued detention of Mr. Weeratunga, he had been released by the UAE authorities subsequently,” the statement said.
It said Mr. Weeratunga presently remains in the UAE and the Police in the UAE are investigating this matter. “Mr. Weeratunga has been prevented from leaving the territory of the UAE until the conclusion of these investigations,” he said.
In the meantime, the FCID, which is investigating the allegations and complaints against Mr. Weeratunga in Sri Lanka, are working with the Interpol in Abu Dhabi on this case, the government said.
“The Sri Lankan Embassy in Abu Dhabi has also retained Lawyers in the UAE specializing in immigration matters to advice the Government of Sri Lanka on this matter. Moreover, a delegation of Sri Lankan officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Attorney General’s Department and the FCID are presently in the UAE having discussions with the concerned authorities in the UAE with the aim of having Mr. Weeratunga deported to Sri Lanka to answer the allegations leveled against him,” the statement said.