HR cases put off for want of competent translator

[TamilNet, Friday, 14 May 2004, 17:26 GMT]
The Chavakachcheri Magistrate Friday informed the Attorney General that he was not in a position to hold preliminary inquiries into twenty-two Habeas Corpus applications referred to him by the Jaffna High Court due to want of permanent competent translators, legal sources said.

HC applications related to 22 Tamil youths arrested by the Sri Lanka Army in the Jaffna peninsula during the period between 1996 and 1997 and later reported to be missing had been forwarded by the Jaffna High Court to the Chavakachcheri magistrates' court for report after holding preliminary inquiry, legal sources said.

When these applications were taken up for inquiry Friday, the Chavakachcheri magistrate put off the inquiry for June 09 due to want of competent and permanent translators, legal sources said.

The Chavakachcheri Magistrate has informed the Attorney General that with the assistance of a clerk he has been conducting inquiries into other cases with great difficulties.

In one of the HC applications, the petitioner Ms. Annalingam Jeyakala, has cited the Commander of the Sri Lanka Army Lt General Lionel Balagalle, Captain Dumminda Keppitigollawa of the Kaithady SLA camp at that time of the incident and the Attorney General as respondents. The petitioner has sought the court to order the respondents to produce her husband Ramalingam Annalingam of Kaithady village who was arrested by the SLA and later reported to be missing, legal sources said.