Magistrate disallows ID parade for detained lawyer

• Counsel for Hejaaz Hizbullah objects to ID parade
• Says children lined up to identify suspect have been shown his photograph during questioning
• Magistrate uploads objections, fixes 1 July for next hearing

Fort Magistrate Ranga Dissanayake yesterday disallowed the Police from presenting detained attorney Hejaaz Hizbullah for an identification parade after counsel for the suspect objected to the move.

President’s Counsel Wasantha Navaratne Bandara, who appeared for Hizbullah, said that the 10 children lined up to identify the suspect have been shown his photograph by the Police when they recorded a statement from them, and hence objected to holding the identification parade.

CID officers who appeared in Court however requested the Magistrate to allow it, but the Magistrate disallowed it and fixed the next hearing for 1 July.

The Magistrate told the CID to present a progress report into their investigations on that day.

Hizbullah is being held under a detention order under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) since mid-April for alleged links to the Easter Sunday bomb attacks.