A witness accused of giving false evidence in the money laundering case filed against Yoshitha Rajapaksa was released on personal bail of Rs. 2 million by Colombo High Court Judge Udesh Ranatunga.
The judge severely warned the witness not to waste the court’s time by giving false evidence and ordered him to appear in court on every day the case is taken up for trial.
The witness, identified as Palitha Gamage, who claims to be a real estate businessman, was released under these conditions.
When the case was taken up, Deputy Solicitor General Janaka Bandara sought permission to declare the witness hostile and cross-examine him, as his testimony contradicted the statements he had previously given to investigators. The court granted the request.
Responding to questions from the Deputy Solicitor General, the witness said he was engaged in buying and selling land and had provided two statements regarding the case.
He said he had initially claimed that he had given Rs. 14.2 million to a person named Tharindu, who worked at Temple Trees while Mahinda Rajapaksa was there, to secure government tenders. However, in a third statement, he had said those earlier claims were false.
The Deputy Solicitor General told the court that the witness’s explanations were unsatisfactory and warned that allowing such conduct would turn the judicial process into a mockery.
The judge then strongly cautioned the witness to give proper evidence without wasting the court’s time.
Further examination of evidence was postponed until October 2.
