The Colombo High Court rejected the request made by former Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga to travel overseas during court proceedings earlier today (29). 

Former Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga was previously questioned at the Police Special Investigations Unit (SIU) to record a statement regarding a complaint alleging financial irregularities during the purchase of vehicles for the Presidential Secretariat, during his time in office in December 2017. 

Police said that investigations are being carried out with regard to the purchasing of 7 vehicles valued at Rs 4 million at a cost of Rs 8.3 million and the purchase of another vehicle worth around Rs 6 million at a cost of Rs 11 million. 

The former Presidential Secretary was grilled for nearly four hours at the SIU, according to Ada Derana reporter.

On September 07, Weeratunga and Palpita were found guilty by the Colombo High Court in the ‘Sil Cloth’ case and each sentenced to three years rigorous imprisonment.  

They were also fined Rs 2 million each and ordered to pay Rs 50 million each to the TRC as compensation. 

Weeratunga and Palpita were charged in a case filed alleging that the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) had spent Rs.600 million to distribute ‘Sil Cloth’ to the people as part of the former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s election campaign in 2015.  

However, on September 11 attorneys representing the former Presidential Secretary and former TRC Director General filed a petition against the verdict delivered by the Colombo High Court. 

The lawyers filed the petition with the Court of Appeal, seeking a court order annulling the verdict delivered by the High Court. 

The Colombo High Court had informed the Attorney General’s Department to make submissions today (20), for the bail application submitted by Lalith Weeratunga and Anusha Palpita.