High Court Judge orders IGP to investigate alleged abduction of State witness in Dr. Rajitha’s case

By T. Farook Thajudeen

Colombo High Court Judge Damith Totawatta yesterday directed the Inspector General of Police to investigate the complaint made by a State witness who had alleged that he was abducted in a van and after manhandling, had left him on the road.

The victim is a State witness in the case against MP Dr. Rajitha Senaratne and State Pharmaceutical Corporation (SPC) former Chairman Mohamed Rumi Mohamed Azeem.

The two were indicted in the High Court over a controversial press conference held by Dr. Rajitha Senaratne and for making false allegations against then Presidential candidate Gotabhaya Rajapaksa during a media briefing during the last Presidential Election.

The judge also directed the CID Director to find out ways of providing protection to the two State witnesses during their visits to the court on the case date.

Senior Deputy Solicitor General Deleepa Pieris, making submissions informed the court that the CID had already started investigating the incident and would inform the court its progress.

The Defendants, former Minister Rajitha Senaratne and Mohamed Rumi Mohamed Azeem have been charged under the Penal Code for holding a press conference in Colombo during the last presidential election by making statements about the abduction of people in white vans, allegedly by fabricating false evidence and committing a corrupt act that could have affected the outcome of the presidential election.