DailyMirror
A Colombo Magistrate said yesterday except for two Colombo district candidates the others had grossly violated election laws. Colombo Additional Magistrate Kumari Abeyratne made this observation when a Democratic National Alliance polling agent was produced in court on charges of having violated election laws.
Welikada police Sergeant Vijithananda told Court that polling agent Akmeemana Liyanage Sunil Suranga was arrested after police received a telephone call alleging the agent had played a video of retired General Sarath Fonseka on Tuesday thus violating election laws. Defence counsel Gunaratne Wanninayake, told the magistrate that the police were making this sort of arbitrary arrests to please certain politicians.
Mr. Wanninayake said the General Fonseka had asigned Mr. Suranga to act as his polling agent at the President’s College polling booth in Rajagiriya, for today’s general election.
He alleged that the police had arrested Mr. Suranga based on a frivolous telephone call given by the General Fonseka’s political rivals.
Mr. Wanninayake said Mr. Suranga had watched the video at his home and the police had no right to enter his home and arrest him.
When the magistrate asked the police where the video was shown Sergeant Vijithananda was unable to provide a satisfactory answer.
The magistrate released Mr. Suranga on a Rs 25,000 personal bail and fixed further inquiries for June 21.
Counsel Gunaratne Wanninayake with Sunil Watagala, Prasad Silva, Rexie Piyadasa, Mervyn De Silva and Hussain Azhar Saidoon appeared for the defence.