Udayanga re-remanded until March 11

The Fort Magistrate Ranga Dissanayake today ordered that Ex-Sri Lankan Ambassador to Russia Udayanga Weeratunga accused in the MiG deal be further remanded until March 11.

The Magistrate ordered that the suspect be held until the case is concluded.

He was  arrested by the Criminal Investigations Department for his unlawful interference in purchasing MiG Fighter Aircraft for the Sri Lanka Air Force from Ukraine and causing a loss of more than 07 Billion US Dollars to the Government of Sri Lanka.

The court re-issued an order on the Acting Inspector General of Police as to why they cannot re-assign the same police officer who carried out the investigations earlier.

On the last occasion the Magistrate had  ordered the Acting IGP to provide an explanation to courts as to why Chief Inspector Nihal Francis  who carried out the investigations for five years and been removed from the investigations of the MiG deal .

However, the Acting IGP had not sent the explanation to courts yesterday.

The Magistrate earlier had noted that it was unusual that report of an Assistant Superintendent of Police was not submitted when the offence comes under the Public Property Act.  However, the certificate had been properly submitted this time.

 Pic By Indika Haduwala.