Galle Chief Magistrate released the notorious gangster Arumahandi Janith Madusanka De silva alias Podi Lessie on 4 sureties of Rs. one million each when the law suit regarding making death threats on the President , Defense Secretary and several high ranking prison officials was taken up for hearing today.
Podi Lassie is cited as the second respondent in the case which was trialed at Galle magistrate court in the absence of the suspect.
However Podi Lassie is currently under the custody of Criminal Investigations Department on detention orders obtained from the Magistrate Court on Thursday.
The magistrate further ordered the respondent to report to the Criminal Investigation Department on every Sunday on completion of the detention period currently in progress and asked him to hand over the Passport (If he possesses) to the judiciary.
The defense lawyers making the application for bail for the suspect pointed out that although the court was told that the suspect had made death threats to the President, the Defence Secretary and others in the respective ‘B’ report there was no mention about inflicting death threats to the President. In that report the suspect had been charged for threatening and obstructing the official duties of the prison officers all of which are bailable offences. Hence, the defense pleaded for bail for the respondent.
In response to the bail application, Deputy Solicitor General Dileepa Peiris affirmed that the suspect had made death threats upon the President and Defence Secretary stating that both of them will exist only for three years more. He had also threaten that within two hours they could arranged an armed attack to the residences of them.
The Deputy Solicitor General also argued that if a criminal of his nature would be released and sent home a more severe crimes could be expected. He also charged that Podi Lesi had planned to commit a mass homicides (a series of murders) and there by create history in the country. So, he vehemently objected the grant of bail to the suspect.
The Magistrate after considering the submissions from both parties released the suspect on above bail conditions.
Deputy Solicitor General Dileepa Peiris and ASP Meril Ranjan Lamahewa prosecuted. PC Tirantha Walaliyadda with a group of lawyers appeared for the respondent.
