28 March, 2024

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Court Says ‘No’ To FCID’s Request For Warrant To Arrest Udayanga Weeratunga

The Colombo Fort Magistrate today refused to grant approval for an international warrant through the Interpol to arrest Sri Lanka’s former ambassador to Russia, Udayanga Weeratunga, who is currently in hiding overseas.

Udayanga

Udayanga

When the case was taken up today, the Magistrate informed the FCID that as Weeratunga was not explicitly named as a suspect in the controversial MiG deal, there was no legal provision to issue an international warrant through Interpol for his arrest.

Weeratunga is alleged to have committed financial fraud during the purchase of several MiG Aircraft in 2006 for the Air Force during former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s term. Reports say he is residing in Ukrain. However during Rajapaksa’s visit to Thailand mid this year, Weeratunga flew to meet the former President. Weeratunga, is Rajapaksa’s first cousin.

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  • 12
    0

    “the Magistrate informed the FCID that as Weeratunga was not explicitly named as a suspect in the controversial MiG deal, there was no legal provision to issue an international warrant through Interpol for his arrest.”

    why this ?

    JVPers or any other politicians that have been doing it, please react.

    This man should be put in jail.

    See Rajakashe blood behaves today. Actualy, if particular Weerathunga is clean – he should come and see lanken investigators to clear it.

    Or his cousin – former President should have guts to get him return to the country – alone the kind of Hendimuththan alleema – run and hide game of these men can make them very accountable for all the high profile MIG or other handlings.

    • 6
      1

      It is simply FCID is a teethless body

      Tell us what have they done thatbig in handling real criminals
      within last 18 months ?

      Tell us what have they done thatbig in handling real criminals
      within last 18 months ?

      Tell us what have they done thatbig in handling real criminals
      within last 18 months ?

  • 7
    0

    Journalists fail to approach Mr Athigaru on the issue.

    That is what we see it yet today.

    MR should make it clear not being in temples but to the vulnerable folks not just about the Weeratungas hide and run game but also all about the allegations being levelled at him now adays. That way he can clean his hands….. else, the very same stupid people will never respect him in his later day life.

  • 5
    1

    FCID’s Request

    “However during Rajapaksa’s visit to Thailand mid this year, Weeratunga flew to meet the former President. Weeratunga, is Rajapaksa’s first cousin.”

    Well, did MaRa exchange money when he met his cousin? All in the Family?

    • 6
      2

      Such imagination! :)

      You guys are a frustrated lot!! All these boru horu cases going nowhere eh??

  • 12
    1

    Let The International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) and the CIA get involved in all these Rajapaksa cases and see how soon things start to get caught and exposed including those trying to play a “Game of Shape” (Sri Lankan term for cover up). Come on let’s see a speedy clean up! Way over due!!!

  • 3
    0

    ohoma yang ohoma yang eyawa shape karamu (way to go way to go,lets cover it up ,for the benefit of those who cant understand sinhalese)

    so it seems that all of MR’s crooks will go scot free thanks to Ranil the PM shaping it up for them!

  • 5
    1

    Words fail me!

    All I can say is ‘Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha-bloody-Ha’ ‘Lucky Bastard! – enjoy your time on the run, till the day of reckoning’. Or till Mahasona your godfather comes back to power?.

  • 4
    0

    Udayange W was reportedly issued a Sri Lanka passport – hence he is a Sri Lankan, and is apparently well-off but avoids coming to Sri Lanka – why?
    His not being named as a suspect in the case, is very strange.

    Nishantha Wickremasinghe, is yet to be charged – why?

    https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/weliamuna-report-recommends-criminal-prosecutions-of-shiranthis-brother-nishantha-w-airlanka-ceo/

    Are mega-crooks being ‘shielded’?

  • 14
    1

    This shows why Sri Lanka needs international judges.

    • 3
      1

      Well said

  • 7
    0

    Why not FCID close the case if Weeratunga is innocent and allow the poor fellow to visit his kith and kin in SL., instead of wasting public
    money on prolonging the case.He goes around the world, passing security
    agencies without being questioned and who issued him with a valid passport to do so. He may be still holding a diplomatic passport.

    • 3
      0

      Russia, Ukraine, a few of those countries you can legally possess more than one passport.

      The babushkas sell passports, university degrees, guns, chunks of sala ( pork fat or lard ) in the subways! They hold it out and shove it on the faces of the commuters!

      Udayanga to me does not sound like a smart criminal. Just a regular bloke. Look at those family photos in Russia. In Russia, people with wealth live very nicely in luxury!

    • 2
      0

      Lanka Watch,

      “Why not FCID close the case if Weeratunga is innocent and allow the poor fellow to visit his kith and kin in SL., instead of wasting public money on prolonging the case.He goes around the world, passing security agencies without being questioned and who issued him with a valid passport to do so.”

      I also think that the FCID is to blame here. Why have they not explicitly named Weeratunga as suspect? This was the second time there is a problem. Hope they get it right next time if there is one.

      I am actually happy because the judge appears to be independent and follow law.

      “He may be still holding a diplomatic passport.”

      Yes and this is something the Dept of Immigration and Emigration should look into. All the passports should be canceled but maybe Weeratunga has to become a suspect first.

      Weeratunga was not explicitly named

  • 7
    0

    Either way..

    1)Yahapalanaya lied to people about massive corruption and thus should be thrown OR
    2) Yahapalanaya shelters the thieves.. so should be thrown out!

    Which is it?? Doesn’t matter.. just throw them out!

    • 4
      0

      words – Certainly not the 1st one but the 02nd one is a probability.
      Innings closed for Yahapalanaya !. What a start and what an end.!!

    • 3
      0

      Words – right on both counts!

      But we also have to ensure that their replacements are not like them or their predecessors (whom you have no problem “sheltering” with your ‘words’!)

      Give us a break and stop being such a disgusting supporter of the former criminals that screwed the country and us with their abuses.

      Sauce for the goose …..!!

  • 2
    0

    Words.
    Agree no 2.

  • 6
    0

    This shows that Sri Lanka does not know how to govern itself. Either return the country to British (though they may not want to touch it with a barge pole ever again) or resurrect VP and give it to him lock stock and barrel, at least he knew how to deal with criminal and crooked so called leaders and their front men and impose some discipline (pardon me MG Kamal, I know how you feel …… I am just making a point of disgust with our politicians and courts) Alternatively hand over the country to military to impose law and order and discipline. All the remaining development projects can wait until law and order is restored.

  • 3
    0

    Udayanga Weeratunge, clearly, has a lot to answer. If so why was he not named explicitly as a suspect. This fumbling, to me, has a sinister motive.

  • 4
    0

    What happened to his business partner who died mysteriously from a supposed accident and buried here and exhumed? Why does the FCID not pursue that crime with the CID?

  • 9
    0

    At this rate we will have to outsource our legal system and get lawyers and judges from abroad for everything! Who are these people who are craftily engineering loopholes to allow these criminals to escape!? Hope that INTERPOL and CIA are documenting who these criminal networks are and how they are covering up and engineering escape strategies for these criminals. Also collect all the evidence linking the “Shape” (Cover up) network and build up cases against them too.

  • 5
    1

    If, as per the Judge, there is no legal provision to grant an international warrant without this man being made an accused, what was our AG doing? Did he not know that fact and advised the CID? This is about the second time this case came up in courts over the same request to grant an International Warrant. In both instances, the request was rejected. In spite of all these attempts to get him “arrested”, he was issued with a Sri Lankan passport and that was justified in the Parliament. He had in possession a “Diplomatic Passport” and one condition of issuing him with a new passport was to hand over that privileged document to the authorities. Did that happen, before he was issued with a new passport? That question was neither raised in Parliament nor made known to the public. When he visited Thailand and met MR he used his “Diplomatic Passport” and who was there to give all assistance to him? Wasn’t our High Commissioner, one time “Almighty” in the Foreign Service? Please don’t play these “GAMES” of hide and seek. Let that GAME be in the hands of children to play and enjoy their free time. You are wasting Public money.

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