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CJ 43 refuses to plead as bank account data required not given to her
View(s):Chief Justice 43 – Shirani Bandaranayake this week refused to plead guilty or not guilty on the alleged bribery and corruption charges levelled against her as the National Development Bank had refused to hand over data of her bank accounts which was pertinent for the hearing.
Chief Justice 43 - Shirani Bandaranayake leaving court
Attorney Nalin Ladduwahetty P.C., for Ms. Bandaranayake said that when he requested the necessary data the bank had only submitted a few documents of its choice which was also shown to two representatives who were present but not known to him.The case was taken up before Colombo Chief Magistrate Gihan Pilapitiya.
The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption has filed charges that she failed to declare two accounts in her annual declaration for three consecutive years from 2010. Mr. Ladduwahetty said that inspecting the computer data in relation to the bank accounts was part and parcel of the case and even though the Court instructed the bank to make available the required data the bank had not done so and therefore his client was not in a position to plead guilty or not guilty on the charges without scrutinising the data.
The Chief Magistrate said that the normal procedure, when produced in Court, is to answer guilty or not guilty to the charges brought by the Bribery Commission
State Counsel Dilan Ratnayake then insisted that the date given by the Court was only to read out the charges brought against her and therefore the case should go ahead.
Attorney Kalinga Indatissa appearing for the bank said that the bank could only give certain data as per the bank regulations.The Chief Magistrate directed the bank to submit a report on Tuesday as to what data could be made available. During the ongoing proceedings the former Chief Justice was in the dock.
There were foreign observers also present in Court. Trial was fixed for hearing on August 4.