Case against Swiss Embassy Staffer fixed for February 28

The case filed against Swiss Embassy Staffer Garnier Bannister for allegedly providing false information to embarrass the Government was yesterday fixed for February 28 by the Colombo High court.

The case was taken up before Colombo High Court Judge Namal Balalle.

The defence in the case had raised a preliminary objection stating that the charges against the accused cannot be pursued further and the date was fixed to produce the objections of the prosecution against it.

On a previous occasion, President’s Counsel Kalinga Indatissa appearing for the accused raised a preliminary objection and stated that the charges related to this case have been filed under Sections 189 and 190 of the Penal Code.

The President’s Counsel also pointed out that under these Sections, it is not possible to pursue charges against the accused.

Deputy Solicitor General Janaka Bandara appearing for the Attorney General informed Court that there is a possibility to maintain the charges against the accused.

The Attorney General filed an indictment in the Colombo High Court against Swiss Embassy Staffer Garnier Bannister Francis over fabricating false evidence over her abduction by the CID officers.

Garnier Bannister Francis, a Sri Lankan Tamil woman from Maligawatta, who works at the Swiss Embassy as a visa officer, was lodge a complaint that she was kidnapped and assaulted by five men in Cinnamon Gardens (Kuruduwatta) on November 25, 2019, sexually assaulted and detained for several hours after questioning issuing visa to Nishantha Silva, who worked as an Inspector to the CID. A second official of the Sri Lankan Embassy in Switzerland had lodged a written complaint with the Acting Inspector General of Police on November 27, 2019.

The CID had commenced investigations on the instructions of the Acting Inspector General of Police and the complaint stated that the woman had been abducted while she was going to her child’s school that day.

During the investigation, Garnier Barrister Francis was summoned to the CID for interrogation, but on her failure to do so, the Colombo Chief Magistrate, who had imposed a foreign travel ban against her and ordered her to appear before the CID before December 9, 2019.

Also, on December 16, 2019, on the instructions of the Attorney General, Garnier Barrister was named as a suspect in the case and the CID arrested her and produced before Court.

Following that, she was remanded and was released on bail on December 30, 2019.