Tissa’s case: Summons re-issued on President and PM

The Colombo High Court today re-issued summons on the President and the Prime Minister to appear before the court with regard to the case against former UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake. 

Attanayake has been charged with making public a forged document alleging a secret agreement between then Common Candidate Maithripala Sirisena, UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and TNA leader R. Sampanthan during the presidential election and thereby attempting to cause tension among communities. 

The President and Prime Minister, who are witnesses in the case, had failed to appear before the court today due to unavoidable official reasons and therefore Colombo High Court Judge Wikum Kaluarachchi re-issued summons on them. 

State Counsel Lakmini Girihagama, appearing on behalf of the Attorney General, requested the court to provide the President and Prime Minister with another date as they are unable to appear before the court today. 

Pointing out that the repeated failure by the witnesses to appear before the court causes unfairness to the defendant, the judge warned that he cannot continue to be a defendant if so. 

 Therefore the case was postponed until June 24 and the court issued summons on the President and the Prime Minister to appear before the court on that date.