Senadipathi not granted permission to leave the country

Friday, 13 March 2015 01:22 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Colombo Chief Magistrate Gihan Pilapitiya yesterday refused Avant Garde Maritime Service Chairman Yapa Senadipathi permission to leave to Nigeria for business matters as the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is conducting an investigation into the dealings of the Avant Garde Maritime Service. This objection was made after the CID objected to Senadipathi’s foreign trip by saying that the petitioner travelling to Nigeria would hold back the on-going investigations. According to media reports, IP Sunil Samaratunge appearing for the CID said according to the Court’s direction they obtained reports from the Secretaries of the Defence Ministry and the Foreign Ministry giving their opinion on the issue while Counsel Dulinda Weerasuriya appearing for Senadhipathi said that his client had entered into an agreement with the Rakna Lanka Company to provide storing facilities to store the firearms of Rakna Lanka in his client’s care though the agreement has already lapsed. Commenting further, Weerasuriya also said that if the Court imposes travel restrictions on his client, it would bring a loss of Rs. 3,500 million to his client and to the country.