Shashi Weerawansa, wife of former Minister Wimal Weerawansa, has been released on anticipatory bail by the Colombo Magistrate’s Court in connection with the forged passport case, pending the hearing of the appeal filed by her before the Supreme Court against her two-year prison sentence.

The Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court today (20) ordered her release on anticipatory bail when the case was taken up before Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama for the pronouncement of the verdict.

Shashi Weerawansa was present in court when the order was issued, Ada Derana reporter said.

In 2022, the Colombo Magistrate’s Court found Weerawansa guilty under the Immigrants and Emigrants Act for obtaining a passport unlawfully and sentenced her to two years’ imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs. 100,000.

The Chief Magistrate informed the court that an appeal filed by Weerawansa against the sentence had subsequently been rejected by the Colombo High Court.

However, counsel appearing for Shashi Weerawansa informed the court that she had filed an appeal before the Supreme Court challenging the High Court decision.

The lawyer further informed the court that the Supreme Court had scheduled the appeal for next month to consider the relevant facts and requested that Weerawansa be released on anticipatory bail until the appeal is heard.

Accordingly, since the defendant has filed the appeal in accordance with the right of the defendant to file an appeal to the Supreme Court challenging the High Court decision within a 42-day period, the Chief Magistrate ordered the release of Shashi Weerawansa on anticipatory bail, subject to informing the Supreme Court in this regard.

The court also ordered that the case be called again on September 27.