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Shashi Weerawansa released on bail

01 Jun 2022

BY Buddhika Samaraweera Shashi Weerawansa – the wife of Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna “independent” MP Wimal Weerawansa – who was convicted of having obtained an informal diplomatic passport by submitting false information to the Department of Immigration and Emigration, was released on bail by the Colombo Magistrate’s Court yesterday (31), until the conclusion of the appeal hearing. The bail application filed by the attorneys of Shashi Weerawansa was taken up for consideration before Colombo Chief Magistrate Nandana Amarasinghe, where the latter released Shashi Weerawansa on a personal bail of Rs. 5 million and a cash bail of Rs. 50,000. The Chief Magistrate also imposed an overseas travel ban on Shashi Weerawansa. Announcing the verdict in the case against Shashi Weerawansa on the charge of having obtained an informal diplomatic passport, former Colombo Chief Magistrate Buddhika Sri Ragala had issued an order on 27 May, sentencing the accused to two years in prison. Following the sentencing of the accused, an appeal was filed by her attorneys against the sentence and it was scheduled to be considered on Monday (30 May). Accordingly, Shashi Weerawansa was produced before the Court by Prison officials on that day too. However, the court adjourned the hearing of the appeal until yesterday. The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) had commenced the investigation into this following a complaint made by Chaminda Perera, a resident of 233/16, Rathnayaka Mawatha, South Thalangama, Battaramulla, on 23 January 2015. Two cases were filed by the CID in 2015 against the accused for being in possession of an unauthorised Sri Lankan passport bearing the number D3642817, an offense punishable under Section 45(1) of the Immigrants and Emigrants Act, No. 20 of 1948 as amended.  


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