Lohan Ratwatte’s bail request fixed for consideration

The Court of Appeal has fixed for consideration a petition filed by former State Minister Lohan Ratwatte requesting him to be released on bail, on November 19.

The relevant petition was taken up before the two-member Appeals Court judge bench comprising President of the Court of Appeal Nissanka Bandula Karunaratne and Justice Shashi Mahendran this morning (11).

Furthermore, the judge bench has ordered the petitioning party to issue notices to the respondents of the petition including the Inspector General of Police to present facts before the court on that date.

Former Minister Lohan Ratwatte and his wife, who were arrested over the charges of using a luxury car illegally imported and assembled in Sri Lanka, have been remanded in custody until November 18 by the Nugegoda Magistrate’s Court.

Police had found the luxury car in question during an inspection carried out based on information received by the police headquarters regarding a luxury car without number plates at a three-storied house in the Embuldeniya area in Mirihana, belonging to Shashi Prabha Ratwatte, the wife of former State Minister Lohan Ratwatte.

During the investigation, both Ratwatte and his wife had explained to the police that his mother-in-law resides in the said house. They had claimed that the car had been brought there three weeks ago by Ratwatte’s private secretary, who was recently found dead with gunshot injuries in the Katugastota area of Kandy.