The Hindu : International : Ex-Minister's remand extended

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 21, 2007
ePaper

International

International

Ex-Minister's remand extended

B. Muralidhar Reddy

COLOMBO: Remand of the recently sacked Sri Lanka Minister, Sreepathi Sooriyarachchi has been extended until March 27 even as the Opposition members in Parliament questioned the Government on the motives behind the arrest.

Mr. Sooriyarachchi, who has levelled serious charges of omission and commission against President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his two brothers, was picked by the CID last week on charges of misappropriation of a jeep allotted to him when he was a Minister.

While extending the remand the Court however permitted Mr. Sooriyarachchi to attend parliamentary sittings during remand period. Subsequently Mr. Sooriyarachchi was brought to Parliament under escort. Opposition parliamentarians greeted him with applause when he entered the well of the House, sources said.

Mangala Samaraweera, former Foreign Minister and one among the sacked Ministers, was present in court when Mr. Sooriyarachchi was brought from remand.

Separately the TamilNet reported that the academic activities of the Eastern University of Sri Lanka (EUSL) resumed on Monday after nearly three months of closure.

The university was closed following the abduction of its Vice Chancellor (VC), Prof. S. Ravindranath, on December 15 in Colombo.

The campus was re-opened on January 30 anticipating the release of the VC after the University Grants Commission accepted his resignation.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

International