Court instructs to re-submit evidence on Shanil Neththikumara over bond scam case

The Colombo High Court today informed the prosecution to re-submit evidence against businessman Shanil Neththikumara, over the central bank bond scam case.

High Court judge Shashi Mahendran issued this order after the lawyer appearing for the accused informed court the evidence handed over by the prosecution was damaged and unclear.

The lawyer pointed out that ten DVDs which were submitted as evidence against his client were damaged, while the telephone records which were issued as evidence were also unclear.

Accordingly, State Counsel Lakmini Girihagama told court that the prosecution regrets the error and that the evidence would be handed over to the accused again.

High Court judge Shashi Mahendran then announced that the case would be taken up again in August to determine whether the accused has received the evidence required to proceed with the case.

Neththikumara, has been accused of threatening the brother of Anika Wijesuriya, a witness who gave evidence at the Presidential Commission over the bond scam, which resulted in losses to the government.

Wijesuriya had revealed before the Presidential Commission of Inquiry, that Arjun Aloysious -  a chief suspect in the bond scam case, had paid the house rent for Minister Ravi Karunanayake who was Finance Minister at the time of the scam.