The Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar has ordered to reissue summons on former Commander of Sri Lanka Navy, Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda as he failed to appear before the court for the second consecutive day today (07).
The summons will be reissued through the Navy Commander and the Acting Inspector General of Police.
The order was delivered by the Special High Court’s bench consisting of Judges Champa Janaki Rajaratne, Amal Ranaraja and Nawaratne Marasinghe.
This is with regard to the case on the alleged forced disappearance of 11 youths in Colombo in 2008 and 2009. The case is filed against a group of naval intelligence officers including Karannagoda, who is cited as its 14th defendant.
Presenting submissions before the bench, Additional Solicitor General Sarath Jayamanne, who spoke on behalf of the Attorney General, stated that Karannagoda was not at his residence when the officers of Welikada Police went there to hand over the summons.
The OIC of Welikada Police also confirmed this, stating that he had been to Karannagoda’s residence in Beddagana on two occasions to deliver the summons, each of which availed.
Speaking further, Additional Solicitor General stated that the CID officers had also been to another residence of Karannagoda located in Kirulapone yesterday (06), however, failed to deliver the summons as he was not to be found there either.
The Additional Solicitor General then sought the court to issue summons through the Navy Commander and Acting IGP citing that the former naval chief Karannagoda the only admiral in Sri Lanka and is provided security by the Navy.
Accepting the request, the Special High Court judge bench ordered to issue summons to Karannagoda via Navy Commander and Acting IGP.
Subsequently, the case was scheduled to be taken up again on February 24th.
In the meantime, the rest of the 13 naval intelligence officers who are named as suspects in this case appeared before the court for today’s hearing.
