$14 mn MIG aircraft deal: Court issued int'l warrant on Udayanga

FCID named him as suspect to the inquiry

By Shehan Chamika Silva

Colombo Fort Magistrate today allowed 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 state in the purchase of Ukraine-built MIG-27 aircraft in 2006.

The directive was given following Mr. Weeratunga being named as a suspect to the inquiry by the FCID.

Earlier on two occasions the magistrate refused the prosecution’s request to issue international arrest warrant on Mr. Weeratunga since based on the legal provisions vested in the Criminal Procedure Code Mr. Weeratunga was not named as a suspect to the inquiry the prosecution.

Filing a B report in court the FCID yesterday named Udayanga Weeratunga as a suspect to the inquiry. Subsequently, allowing the FCID’s request, Fort Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne allowed to issue an arrest warrant through Interpol on the suspect Mr. Weeratunga.

According to Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) Inspector Nihal Francis the deal amounted to US$14 million.