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| “We did not set fire to Lanka e news” –Boothaya and Soosa solemnly confirm in court -suspects released on surety bail |
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(Lanka-e-News, 18,Feb.2011, 6.30PM) The two suspects P M Soosantha alias Soosa and Udeni Sisira Jayalath alias Boothaya who were remanded by the police in connection with the arson committed on Lanka e news Institution situated at Malabe causing losses to the tune of Rs. 11 million on 31st January at pre dawn 1.45 were released on Rs. 03 lakhs surety bail each by the Kaduwela Magistrate Jayaki De Alwis today (18) when they were produced in Court.
The Magistrate ordered that the relatives of the suspects could stand as sureties and the suspects must report to the nearest police station on Sundays every two weeks, while postponing the case until 20th April 2011.
The suspects were granted bail today (18) following requests made by the Lawyers for them, Sandya Talduwa and Kamal Wijesiri.
Ms. Talduwa told court that her client Boothaya who has been charged falsely does not even know where Lanka e news is located let alone what a media Institution is, since he is addicted to drugs. |
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Ms. Talduwa added that her client had been remanded for two weeks just for nothing for no crime committed by him. Besides, the police has not instituted any investigations into this after remanding him. She therefore requested bail for her client.
Since the police went to his house and pestered the householders stating his client was being searched for on a warrant against him, his mother went and handed over the client to the custody of the Talangama police. Later he was remanded by the police after filing charges of setting fire to Lanka e news, the Lawyer explained to court.
Lawyer Kamal Wijesiri said, his client Soosantha alias Soosa was arrested by the Wellampitiya police when he was at home and handed over to the Talangama police. The lawyer pleaded that his client had not committed the arson on Lanka e news, and he was an innocent heroin addict.
Lawyer Wijesiri also told court that his client had been remanded for a crime not committed by him. He also urged that as these two suspects are ordinary individuals who cannot be an impediment to police investigations, to grant them bail.
‘As my two learned lawyer friends stated on the 15th in the court that the two suspects who are in the dock on whose behalf they are appearing that the suspects do not even know where Lanka e news is, I am giving due deference to their statement’, the lawyer Manjula Pathiraja appearing for the aggrieved parties declared. |
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Mr. Pathiraja emphasized to the court that Lanka e news had suffered losses to the tune of Rs. 11 million as a result of this arson. He also kindly urged the Magistrate to bring the investigation under her purview because no faith or confidence can be reposed in the police as regards an impartial investigation.
Pathraja went on to say that the police instead of arresting the true arsonists have remanded two innocents. Lanka e news was burnt down because it was a website that gave out factual news fearlessly and frankly to the people. He therefore made a request to the Magistrate to please allow his statements and those of his learned friend s to be reported.
When the Magistrate asked from the suspects whether they plead guilty to the charges of setting fire to Lanka e news, they pleaded not guilty.
The Magistrate who stated that the statements of the Lawyers of both sides, the accused and the aggrieved parties have been recorded today, ordered the police to conduct the investigations impartially without prejudice.
Attorneys at law Namal Rajapakse and Hemapala Ekanayake appeared for Lanka e news. |
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