Former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has expressed his willingness to testify regarding the disappearance of civil activists Lalith Weeraraj and Koogan Muruganandan.
This development comes after the relatives of the missing activists filed a petition before the Supreme Court, contesting a prior ruling by the Court of Appeal.
Lalith and Koogan disappeared in 2011, during Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s tenure as Defense Secretary. At the time, there were suspicions that the government, led by then-President Mahinda Rajapaksa, was involved in their disappearance. When questioned about the matter, former Cabinet Media Spokesperson Keheliya Rambukwella had stated that the activists were in police custody.
The case was initially heard in the Jaffna Magistrate’s Court, which issued a summons against Gotabaya Rajapaksa in 2019. However, he requested that the summons be reconsidered, citing threats to his life.
After his election as President, legal proceedings stalled as he could not be called to testify while in office. Now that he no longer holds the presidency, the prosecution has requested that Gotabaya be summoned to testify in the case.
His attorney, Romesh de Silva, has informed the court that Gotabaya Rajapaksa is willing to provide testimony in any Magistrate’s Court in the country, except in Jaffna, due to security concerns. The next hearing is set for March 18, 2025.
