An External Affairs Ministry official this week told the High Court Trial-at-Bar hearing the ‘White Flag’ case that the UN panel report made no mention about the comments reported to have been made by former Army Commander General Sarath Fonseka to The Sunday Leader newspaper.
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| Sarath Fonseka coming out from Court on Tuesday.
Pic byPradeep Pathirana |
C.A.H.M.Wijeratne, Director General of the UN Division and Multilateral Affairs of the External Affairs Ministry was summoned to courts to produce the UN panel of experts’ report (the Darusman report).
In the 'White Flag' case, Mr. Fonseka is accused of having stated in an interview with The Sunday Leader newspaper that the Defence Secretary had ordered not to spare any of the LTTE cadres surrendering even if they were coming with white flags during the last stages of the military assault on the guerrillas in May, 2009.
He is charged with making a false statement to the newspaper, arousing communal and anti-government feelings among the public and creating disputes among them.
The Trial-at-Bar consists of Judges Deepali Wijesundara (President), W.T. M. P.B. Warawewa and M.S. Razeen.
Senior Defence Counsel Nalin Ladduwahetti (NL) leads evidence of Mr. Wijeratne (W).
NL: Have you brought the report by the UN panel of experts issued on March 21, 2010?
W: Yes.
NL: Have you read the report?
W: Yes.
NL: Does the report at any place mention about the comments made by the accused (Mr. Fonseka) to The Sunday Leader newspaper?
(Deputy Solicitor General Buwaneka Aluvihare said that before the witness was questioned on the report it should be marked as a court document. Mr. Ladduwahetti pointed out that the report contains some 600 pages and he does not intend making the file of the case large. He said he would decide whether the document should be marked based on the response to his question.
After both sides made submissions in favour and against marking the report as a Court document the Court adjourned for about half an hour).
Court resumed
Mr. Ladduwahetti withdrew the request to mark the UN report as a Court document
NL: Does the UN report at any place mention about the comments made by the accused (Mr. Fonseka) to The Sunday Leader newspaper?
W: No.
(Leading of evidence of Mr. Wijeratne ends)
DSG Mr. Aluvhhare cross-examines Mr. Wijeratne)
DSG: Could you say whether The Sunday Leader newspaper was considered when this report was prepared?
W: I cannot say that.
DSG: Whoever prepared the report, could you say what are the grounds for this report?
W: I cannot say that.
(Cross-examination ends)
The next hearing is
on June 23. |
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