Defence Secy and IGP bail revision application fixed for 1 August

By Manopriya Gunasekera 

The bail revision application filed before the Colombo High Court against the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s order granting bail to IGP Pujith Jayasundara and former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando will be taken up on 1 August. 

IGP Pujith Jayasundara

Former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando

The decision was made by Colombo High Court Judge Vikum Kaluarachchi on Tuesday. The Respondents of the revision, former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando and IGP Pujith Jayasundara appeared before the Court. They were given bail earlier this month by the Colombo Chief Magistrate who held that due process had not been followed in investigating and presenting evidence on the charges framed by the Attorney General.  

Subsequently the Attorney General filed a revision application requesting the Colombo High Court to issue an interim order against the granting of bail by the Colombo Magistrate’s Court to the suspects, who were arrested for failing to prevent the terror attacks on Easter Sunday.

Speaking on behalf of the respondents of the revision application, President’s Counsels Anuja Premaratne and Anura Meddegoda stated that their clients decided to present themselves before the court although they had not received notices ordering them to do so. In response Colombo High Court Judge Vikum Kaluarachchi said that as the Respondents were before Court they would be considered as having received notice.

PC Meddegoda requested the court to set a date to confirm the fact mentioned in the revision application citing that he is slated to attend a hearing taken up before the Supreme Court.

Accordingly, the Colombo High Court ordered to fix the revision petition for support on 1 August. The Attorney General’s Department had filed the bail revision application giving a breakdown of points countering the reasoning presented by the Colombo Chief Magistrate when granting bail to Fernando and Jayasundera.