Member of Parliament Wimal Weerawansa has been acquitted in the passport case. Sri Lanka Latest News
That is based on an order given by the Negombo Magistrate Court.
Mr. Wimal Weerawansa, who was an opposition member of Parliament, arrived at Katunayake Airport at around 2:00 AM on 23.10.2015 with a flight permit duly issued by the Immigration Department. There, the immigration officials have informed that the passport is shown as a disabled passport in the data system. The officials had told the MP that if he brought a valid passport with him, he could travel abroad as there was a valid visa in that permit.
The MP submitted the inactive passport to the head office and got a new passport the next day. After that, he came back to the airport the next morning with the new active flight permit and the valid and inactive flight permit. At that time, the MP was arrested by immigration officials.
Mr. Sarath Jayamanna, the President’s lawyer who appeared for Mr. Wimal Weerawansa, repeatedly questioned why he was not arrested in the first instance if it was a criminal offense to bring an invalid passport.
Also, the lawyers representing the MP had requested information from the Immigration Department under the Freedom of Information Act in this regard, and there the Immigration Department had mentioned that it is possible to travel abroad with an active passport using a valid visa on an inactive passport. Also, the immigration officials testified that the passport presented by the MP was not forged or false.
Also, an Assistant Superintendent of Police had approved prosecution. But according to the sections of the Immigration Act mentioned in the approval letter, the Assistant Superintendent of Police had no authority to give approval and the approval should have been given by the Controller of Immigration.
Accordingly, it was requested on behalf of the accused Member of Parliament to acquit the Member of Parliament without calling the defense, taking into account all these facts.
The Negombo Magistrate considered the request and acquitted MP Wimal Weerawansa.
President’s Counsel Sarath Jayamanna appeared for the defense along with lawyers Sajeeva Meegawatta, Prashan Wickramaratne, Vineshka Mendis and Thilini Perera.
