1st day of citizenship case some files are not availble, controller of emogration and immigration informs

1st day of citizenship case some files are not  availble, controller of emogration and immigration informs

The case in which a petition calling to issue a certiorari writ an order be issued on grounds that Mr. Gotabhaya Rajapaksa the presidential candidate of Sri Lanka Podu Jana Peramuna has not formally obtained his citizenship as a Sri Lankan and for that reason to invalidate his passport, national identity card and his dual citizenship certificate is to be heard for 3 days from today onwards. Today being the first day in which it is heard, the immigration
and emigration controller stated that he is not in possession of any such file to that effect. The emigration and immigration controller Mr. R.M.P.S.B. Ratnayaka informed supreme court today (2) that he is not in possession of any file related to the dual citizenship of former secretary of defence and presidential candidate of Sri Lanka Podu Jana Peramuna Mr. Gotabhaya Rajapaksa. He added that while documents of all others are available there is no such document in his name. This was informed by senior deputy solicitor general Mr. Nerin Pulle who appeared on behalf of the emigration and immigration controller. 

The deputy solicitor general who appeared on behalf of the controller of emigration and immigration further informed court that it was computerized in the network of the department in the year 2007 and that no document was destroyed in the department prior to that. President's counsel Mr. Romesh de Silva who appeared on behalf of the respondent Mr. Gotabhaya Rajapaksa said in court was that it has come to be known that files in possession of emigration and immigration before 2007 were destroyed and that the attorney general makes no mention of anything in that respect. What deputy solicitor general Mr. Nerin Pulle who responded in that context said that those allegations have no foundation and that the emigration and immigration department has not destroyed any files in their possession. 

The petition is further inquired into by a three-bench of judges comprising appeal court chairman Messrs. Yasantha Kodagoda, Arjuna Obeysekera and Mahinda Samayawardena. The said writ petition was filed by professor Chandraguptha Thenuwara of Sri Lanka University of Aesthetics and convenor Mr. Gamini Wiyangoda of Purawesi Balaya organisation. Messrs. R.M.P.S.B. Ratnayaka, controller of emigration and immigration department, commissioner general of registration of persons Viani Gunathillaka, minister of internal and home affairs and local government, secretary of that ministry Gamini Seneviratna, former secretary of defence Gotabhata Rajapaksa, leader of the opposition Mahinda Rajapaksa, acting inspector general of police C.D. Wickramaratna, senior deputy inspector general of police Ravi Seneviratna, director of criminal investigation Shani Abeysekera and oficer in charge of its special unit L. Dissanayaka were named as respondents in this case. The case will be taken in for hearing tomorrow (3) too. 

- Thilini de Silva and Ranjan Katugampola -