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Bogus land transfer case: Top foreign expert called in
By Mahangu Weerasinghe
The services of a senior forensic expert have been sought in the case against former Military Spokesman Sumedha Perera and former Bar Association Secretary Bandula Wijesinghe who have been accused of forging a deed to claim ownership of a property designated as an archaeological site.

Colombo High Court Judge Rohini Perera granted permission to the prosecution to add such a foreign expert to the list of witnesses. Professor Chandra Sekharan is director of the School of Sciences and Forensic Science at National Law University of Jodhpur in India and is also an Examiner of Questioned Documents.

In this case, a former caretaker of the property H.M Sarath Wijewardena has also been charged with claiming the property of Fredrick Wimaladharma Obeysekere in Rajagiriya, a property declared as a protected site of the Archaeological Department.

Lawyer Bandula Wijesinghe is charged with fraudulently certifying a forged document with false signatures and making a forged deed as a deed of gift presented by Fredrick Wimaladharma Obeysekere on or around June 11, 2001.

According to the complaint, Colonel Sumedha Perera, along with caretaker H.M Sarath Wijewardena had claimed ownership to the property after producing the deed of gift. They are thus charged with aiding and abetting in the offence. Giving evidence Stanley Christopher Asoka Obeysekere told court his father's younger brother, Fredrick Wimaladharma Obeysekere looked after him after his father's death.

He said his uncle had Parkinson's disease since around 1987 and passed away in 2001. He said that when he came to Sri Lanka to make arrangements for his uncle's funeral, he had been told by the caretaker of the Obeysekere Walauwwa in Rajagiriya that his uncle had signed a deed of gift giving the land in question to him.

Mr. Obeysekere further said he had eventually obtained a copy of the deed and found the property had been gifted to Colonel Sumedha Perera and Sarath Wijewardena. Senior State Counsel S. Thurairaja presented to court several documents, including cheques, which had been signed by the late Fredrick Wimaladharma Obeysekere on which the signatures were recognised by the witness.

Twenty three documents, including two land deeds signed by Fredrick Obeysekere were presented to court over the three days of the trial. During the proceedings, the judge asked Senior State Counsel whether the late Frederick Obeysekere could read and understand Sinhala well. Replying in the negative, Mr. Thurairaja said this fact was a key factor in this case and that he would come to that point later.

President's Counsel Desmond Fernando, appearing for Stanley Obeysekere, said his client, a practicing lawyer, would be leaving for the UK on Thursday night due to work commitments. The judge ordered that some relevant documents be released from the Colombo Magistrate's Court and the Examiner of Questioned Documents.

The trial has been re-fixed for December 13. Presidents Counsel M. L. Ameen and Anil Silva appeared for the first accused while Anuja Premaratne and Rohan Senaratne appeared for the second and third accused.

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