Court to decide on transfer of Diana Gamage cases

Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama announced today (20) that the order regarding whether the seven cases filed against former State Minister Diana Gamage will be directed to other courts within the complex will be delivered on May 26.

These cases involve charges of violating the Immigrants and Emigrants Act.

The court is also expected to decide on that date whether the trials for subsequent cases should begin sequentially after the evidence examination of the first case concludes.

Attorney-at-Law Mohan Seneviratne, representing the defence, requested that five of the seven cases filed by the Criminal Investigation Department be transferred to other Additional Magistrate courts, while the remaining two stay in the Chief Magistrate's Court.

He further requested that the cases be taken up for trial one after another once the current proceedings wrap up.

When the Magistrate questioned if simultaneous trials posed a problem for the suspect, the lawyer stated that while there is no technical issue, the request was made considering her mental distress.

The State Counsel noted that a previous request had also been made to keep two cases under the Chief Magistrate and distribute the rest.

After considering submissions from both parties, the Chief Magistrate scheduled the order for May 26 and postponed the case until then.