![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Rajeev-Yasiru-Kuruwitage-Mathew.jpeg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nLawyers told Colombo Telegraph that if prison officials could not unilaterally decide to retain a person in custody who has been granted a bail order by a court of law, that would be tantamount to being an illegal detention. However health authorities could decide whether to put that person in quarantine or conduct medical testing, the lawyers explained.<\/p>\n
Despite a request by the CID that Kuruwitage should be remanded further until they can frame fresh charges against him, the Chief Magistrate rejected the request and released the young man on bail. Kuruwitage was arrested by the CID on Monday June 7 without a warrant, in connection with a press release he issued regarding a cyber attack on President Gotabaya Rajapaksa\u2019s website.<\/p>\n
The CID case against Kuruwitage unravelled in court, when lawyers for the suspect pointed out that he could not be charged under the sections of the Computer Crimes Act the police had cited in its B report, since he had not hacked government information systems.<\/p>\n
The Chief Magistrate asked the CID if Kuruwitage had hacked into government information systems and obtained information, but the police informed court that no such information had been leaked. The CID could reply when the Magistrate asked if Kuruwitage had aided or abetted such an act, to which the CID had no reply. The Magistrate then asked the CID on what basis the arrest had been made.<\/p>\n
The CID officers asked the court to hold Kuruwitage in remand until they could file new charges against him under a different law.<\/p>\n
The Chief Magistrate rejected this request and released Yasiru Kuruwitage on bail of Rs 100,000. The magistrate also advised Kuruwitage to exercise his right to expression responsibly, without causing social disruption.<\/p>\n
However, despite the bail order, Kuruwitage remains in custody with prison officials refusing to honour the court order until the PCR testing process was complete.<\/p>\n
Attorney at Law Thishya Weragoda and a team of lawyers appeared for Kuruwitage.<\/p>\n
Attorney Weragoda told local news stations that Kuruwitage’s mobile phone and computer had been seized by the CID illegally. No receipt had been provided for the seizure, he said. This was a requirement under the law, Weragoda pointed out. “People cannot be arrested on someone’s whims, there are laws in this country,” the Counsel for Kuruwitage charged.<\/p>\n
Watch: [Time stamp 26:08 – 29:17]<\/em> <\/strong><\/p>\n