Two cases filed against Shashi Weerawansa, wife of National Freedom Front (NFF) Leader Wimal Weerawansa were yesterday re-fixed for the trial by Colombo Chief Magistrate Lanka Jayarathne.
This is in onnection with an incident where Shashi Weerawansa had fraudulently obtained two passports including a diplomatic passport by submitting forged documents to the Immigration and Emigration Department.
Giving evidence before the court, JVP Parliamentrian and Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) Chairman Sunil Hadunnetti stated that he had signed the birth certificate of the son of MP Wimal Weerawansa.
MP Hadunnetti further stated that he had been served as Justice of the Peace in 2002. MP Hadunnetti also said that he had never checked the details on the birth certificate of the MP Wimal Weerawansa’s son.
Giving further evidence, Assistant Land Registrar Nishantha Soyza informed court that she came to the Registrar’s Office in 2008 and requested that she wanted to amend her husband’s birthday in her children’s birth certificates. Assistant Land Registrar Nishantha Soyza further stated that a few years later, she had came to the same Registrar’s Office and requested that she needed to amend her name and birthday in her children’s birth certificates.
Nishantha also stated that the Assistant Registrar General had instructed him to issue amended birth certificates to Shashi Weerawansa. Nishantha Soyza further stated that when he gave an application to defendant she stated that she don’t know how fill that application.
Giving evidence before court on a pervious occasion, Retired Assistant Registrar General Hetticarachchi said that he had received a call from former Minister Wimal Weerawansa on that occasion,asking him to issue a new amended birth certificate for his child.
Shashi Weerawansa was arrested in February 2015 over the charge of obtaining diplomatic and general passports illegally. She had allegedly submitted a birth certificate with forged names and dates of birth to obtain those passports. She is out on bail.
The Magistrate ordered Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) General Secretary Tilvin Silva to appear before the court on next calling date.
The Magistrate made this order taking into consideration a request made by Deputy Solicitor General Dileepa Peiris citing that the prosecution is expecting to identify several documents in the presence of the witness.
President’s Counsel Anil Silva appearing on behalf of the accused and Deputy Solicitor General Dileepa Peiris appeared on behalf of the Criminal Investigation Department.The Magistrate fixed the trial for March 14.
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