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Mervyn’s son hauled before HC
The Attorney General will indict Malaka Silva – son of Deputy Minister Mervyn Silva – in the High Court next week on charges of obstructing a police officer in the discharge of his official duties.

The decision to indict – 28-year-old Malaka Silva has already been taken, and papers will be filed next week, Solicitor General C.R. de Silva said yesterday.
He said the department was preparing papers to indict Mr. Silva under Section 323 of the Penal Code for causing hurt to a public servant to deter that person from discharging his duty.

This is a criminal offence and if convicted carries a jail term of three years.
Meanwhile, when the case against Malaka Silva was taken up before the Fort Additional Magistrate Sarath C. Karunaratne, the magistrate made it clear that Court had at no time directed that the suspect and three others allegedly involved in the incident be released on bail.

The other suspects are Hemantha Sampathkumar Rajapakse, W.M. Prasanna Kumara and Suresh Wijenaike. The case was called to investigate into the report filed by the Police to Court that after the suspects surrendered to the Fort Police with their attorney they were released on Police bail.

The magistrate said he had issued a search-and-arrest warrant to the police who raided the five-star night club and the release of the suspect without his authority amounted to contempt of court.

State Counsel Rohantha Abeysuriya told Court the Attorney General believed that the case involved a grave offence as drugs were a major cause for serious crimes in the country.

When the police are taking extra special measures to counter the drug menace, this type of incident is even more serious and the Attorney General’s Department would take immediate steps to indict those who are involved in this kind of activity, he said.

The Attorney General will also decide shortly if the decision to grant Police bail to the suspects was a contempt of Court and inform the court.
The case will be heard again on August 18.
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