• Prosecution of Yoshitha Rajapaksa to continue 

The Colombo High Court yesterday (25) ordered the release of the grandaunt of Yoshitha Rajapaksa, Daisy Forrest Wickramasinghe, who is a defendant in a case filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. 

During the proceedings, Deputy Solicitor General Janaka Bandara submitted a specialised psychiatric report to the Court. The report, compiled by the Colombo Judicial Medical Officer (JMO), was requested by the Court to determine whether the defendant possessed the requisite mental capacity to stand trial. Bandara informed the Court that, according to the medical recommendations, the defendant is not in a fit mental state to participate in the judicial proceedings.

After considering the medical evidence and the submissions presented, the Judge ordered that Forrest Wickramasinghe be released from the indictments filed against her.

However, Bandara further informed the Court that the prosecution will proceed with the case against the first defendant, Yoshitha Rajapaksa, under an amended indictment.

During previous proceedings in that case, the counsel of Forrest Wickramasinghe had informed the Court that their client was not in a suitable mental state to face trial.  Accordingly, the Court ordered that a specialist medical report be obtained through the Colombo JMO to determine whether the defendant is mentally fit to stand trial.

The Attorney General (AG) originally filed this case against Yoshitha Rajapaksa and Forrest Wickramasinghe, alleging that they committed an offense under the said Act through the unlawful acquisition of assets valued at around Rs. 73 million. The AG has alleged that the defendants violated the said Act by depositing over Rs. 59 million — allegedly acquired illegally between 31 March 2009 and 12 December 2013 — into three bank fixed deposit accounts.