The Keith Noyahr assault and abduction case was heard in the High Court of Colombo on 10th 12th and 14th of June to determine whether the Army Intelligence officers presently in remand should be bailed out. The Army Intelligence officers including Major Bulathwatte were arrested and remanded into the abduction and assault of Keith Noyahr, the deputy editor of the Nation newspaper. The investigation into this crime like with the attacks and murder of journalists during former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s regime were resumed in all seriousness after his fall in 2015.
The CID which commenced investigations were able to zero in on the team that carried out such attacks and arrested Major Bulathwatte and the others after painstaking leg work. These officers were granted bail in the Magistrate’s Court but the CID appealed to the High Court which over ruled the Magistrate’s order. In the continuing hearings in the High Court Attorney at Law Hemantha Warnakulasuriya appeared in favour of the Army Intelligence officers. Attorney at Law Hemantha Warnakulasuriya PC made an application for bail on the basis that Keith Noyahr had given an interview to Sri Lanka Guardian which was also carried in Sath Handa, that those in remand were NOT (emphasis by Colombo Telegraph) responsible for the abduction and attack on him. The High Court requested the CID to verify this news report from Keith Noyahr and report to court. Colombo Telegraph understands through reliable sources that Keith Noyahr was shocked beyond belief that such a false news item had been carried not only in Sri Lanka Guardian which at best could have been ignored purely on it’s record of carrying trumped up news, but that it was also carried in Sath Handa, a newspaper widely known to be run by Minister Duminda Dissanayake, the right hand man of President Maithripala Sirisena. Colombo Telegraph also learns that this erroneous news item was a deliberate plant by interested parties to be used in the High Court to seek bail for the Army Intelligence officers now in remand.
On another interesting aside Colombo Telegraph learns that Attorney at Law Hemantha Warnakulasuriya, now appearing for the officers in remand had on an earlier occasion volunteered to appear pro bono on behalf of the family of late Lasantha Wickrematunge, even going to the extent of saying he knew who slew Lasantha. Colombo Telegraph learns that Attorney Warnakulasuriya had spoken to the brother of late Lasantha Wickrematunge, Lal and then to the second wife of the late editor Sonali, and thereafter to the first wife Raine, seeking a proxy nominating him to appear on behalf of the family on the basis that he would help not only with the investigation but prosecute successfully in court the culprits behind the murder of the late Editor. While stating that he knew who killed Lasantha Wickrematunge, yet not volunteering such information till such proxy form was signed and assigned, had drawn the suspicions of the family who brushed off this offer.
Colombo Telegraph learns that Colombo based lawyers were not surprised that Attorney at Law Hemantha Warnakulasuriya has now done a 180 degree turn in appearing on behalf of the accused Army Intelligence officers, who also are suspected of being behind the murder of late Lasantha Wickrematunge according to reported facts to court by the CID.
Related posts:
LAC3 (rtd) Buddhadasa / June 16, 2017
This so-called Attorney is a disgrace to the legal profession (which is not saying much, really). He is well known as a boot-licker of the MR clan, and was Ambassador in Italy for a while. During that period he made various vacuous claims about defeating LTTE supporters in Italy.
I believe he is currently defending Kudu Dumi.————————————————
All accused deserve a lawyer, but this guy brings a whole new dimension to unscrupulousness.
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The Professional / June 16, 2017
I do not want to criticize fellow professionals but AAL HW PC making about turns warrants a closer look at ethicality of his way of practicing the profession.
He talks big about ethics and his writings published in newspapers are full of praise of the ethical conduct of seniors in the profession, who had gone to the other worlds. Yet in deed he is the opposite. It may be that he became such a person after serving as a Diplomat.
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Nic / June 18, 2017
“The Professional” : Should he not be arrested immediately for withholding key evidence in a murder case? Is it not a criminal offense under the penal code of SL?
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Estate Labourer / June 16, 2017
Fully 90% of the men who wear black coats eventually prove themselves to be turncoats. Lawyers have no permanent allegiances just as is the case with politicians. Any man who offers the right price can retain their services. There is no such thing as principle. They are like sex workers and will go with anyone for the money.
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Plato. / June 16, 2017
The first thing to do is kill all the Lawyers to create a perfect society:
Shakespeare- Henry Vl.
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Thanos / June 16, 2017
Colombo Telegraph should know very well that Lawyers are free represent whoever they wish to. This is means they can represent mass-murderers, rapists, Thieves, etc. Hemantha Warnakulasuriya is like that. He does not have any allegiances other than his client and himself.
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Tungsan Yu / June 19, 2017
That’s a load of hog Wash and you know it.
He first appears to help lasanthas family, without even being asked to.
Then suddenly appears for the opposite side.
The man lacks basic principles in life.
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Mama Sinhalam / June 16, 2017
Stupid fellow also wears a horse-hair wig. He must have sweated his brains out.
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K.Pillai / June 16, 2017
Why blame the attorney? Everyone is entitled to defend – in this case through a lawyer. Remember the Gotabaya’s definition of “men-in-black-traitors”. At some stage when Gota was riding high, a certain newspaper said something unpalatable. He sued the paper because at that time white-vans were not invented. The paper retained a team of lawyers to defend. Gota’s then Defence Ministry website called the lawyers “men-in-black-traitors” – implying “How dare anyone defend the antagonist of Patriot Gota? This was a blatant interference in the judicial system. The International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute was alarmed and raised this with the then GoSL. History has this habit of repeating!.
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gamini / June 16, 2017
All these MR supporters were one time supporters of another megalomaniac R Premadasa and were UNPers.
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Jim Softy / June 17, 2017
[Edited out] We welcome debate and dissent, but persistent trolling will not be tolerated. For more detail see our Comment policy https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/comments-policy-2/
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Ad / June 17, 2017
He is begging for attention.
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SJ / June 17, 2017
Which newspaper in Sri Lanka has the moral right to cast the first stone? . . . . .****
Each pulls for some vested interest.. . . . .****
As for the Courts, I have said somewhere on these pages and elsewhere that we only have “Courts of Law not Courts of Justice”.
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justice / June 18, 2017
Lawyers are mercenaries who ‘appear’ for the highest bidders.
So, it is not surprising that this lawyer offers to appear for both ‘accused’ and ‘defence’ and ‘tailor’ his opinion accordingly.
It is not his fault, but rather the ‘modus operandi’ of his profession.
It is the duty of the judge to find the truth on testimony led before him.
Most judges do this.
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harry hatton / June 19, 2017
It is very shocking that a so called “Presidents counsel” is looking for work this shamelessly.
I thought professional ethics prohibit lawyers from touting for work.
Will the Bar Association or the courts take action on this disgraceful lawyer ? Or may be the Bar association is now encouraging touting !
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Billa / June 19, 2017
Everything going on in politics , courts of law, yahapalanaya…and all are just open “sham”. Not a single leader or law makers are worried about the way things are being carried out but themselves & their political survival. Everything has gone out of control and beyond repair…Nothing good is going to happen for the welfare of the country until these unethical & unprincipled bunch of law makers ( read as….law breakers!) are sent packing. But then the question is ..whom can the citizen elect to replace these good for nothings ?
The sad fact is..even though we have able,educated, intelligent and sincere people in the country, none of them is willing to come forward, offering their services, under the present set up and the brain washed mind set of most of the public ! Many citizen still foolishly believe that an MR come back will solve ‘everything’. None of these cesspit politicians can do anything good but will only wreck the rest of the nation. We can only rely on the younger generation who are growing up with good grooming, education, culture, civility….that’s the only hope we have, nothing else !
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