Rajitha’s anticipatory bail application rejected

The Colombo Chief Magistrate today rejected the anticipatory bail application filed by former Heath Minister MP  Rajitha Senaratne, in connection with the ‘white van’ media briefing.  

The former Health Minister arrived at the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court this morning for the hearing of his anticipatory bail application.

He had filed the anticipatory bail application before the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court yesterday (Dec 19) seeking the prevention of his arrest over “white van” media briefing.

However, the Colombo Chief Magistrate rejected the application claiming that the alleged charges were not  included in the application.

The Director of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and several other officials had been named as the respondents in the bail application.

The parliamentarian claimed that the CID is preparing to arrest him over the said media briefing. Hence, he requested the court to release him on anticipatory bail before he is taken into custody by the CID.

On November 10  this year, Senaratne had called the said press conference, which was attended by two persons named Anthony Douglas Fernando and Athula Sanjeewa Madanayake.

During the briefing, the duo had made controversial statements and allegations regarding “white vans” and purported incidents of certain abductions, assassinations, robberies and forced disappearances during the administration of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

One of them had claimed that he was a “white van” driver involved in abducting people while the other claimed he once served as a driver to transport a stock of gold in previously held areas by the LTTE.

On December 02, the CID presented a submission to the Colombo Chief Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne regarding the said media briefing. 

The investigations in this regard were launched after a complaint was lodged by an individual named Kumudu Pradeep Sanjeewa Perera.