Colombo Fort Magistrate today refused the FCID request to issue an arrest warrant through Interpol on one-time Sri Lankan ambassador to Russia, Udayanga Weeratunga over the inquiry conducted into the huge financial loss caused to the Government in the purchase of Ukraine-built MIG-27 aircrafts in 2006.
The Magistrate made the decision based on the legal provisions vested in the Criminal Procedure Code as Mr. Weeratunga was not named as a suspect yet to the inquiry by the FCID.
The FCID on an earlier occasion requested court to issue international warrant on Weeratunga since he was not in the country.
However, refusing the FCID's request to issue an international warrant on Mr. Weeratunga, the Fort Magistrate noticed him to appear in court over the inquiry and ordered to send the summons through Foreign Ministry to the address in which he lives in Ukraine.
In a report submitted to the court, the Foreign Ministry had informed earlier, that according to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry; Mr. Weeratunga was not currently residing at the given address in Ukraine therefore the summons were not handed over to him.
Thereby, the prosecution once again requested court to issue arrest warrant since Mr. Weerathunga had been deliberately absconding the court avoiding him being interrogated into the alleged aircraft deal.
The FCID requested court to issue warrant on Mr. Weeratunga under section 63 (1), ‘Issue of warrant in lieu of or in addition to summons’, of the Criminal Procedure Code.
According to Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) Inspector Nihal Francis the deal amounted to US$14 million.
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