Court rejects Ratwattes' medical certificates

[TamilNet, Monday, 18 March 2002, 23:05 GMT]
The Teledeniya Magistrate Ms Inoka Ranasinghe Monday rejected special medical reports submitted on behalf of former Deputy Defence Minister Gen.Anuruddha Ratwatte and his sons Lohan and Chanukah in the Udathalawinne massacre case, stating that they were unable to attend courts due to ill health. The Magistrate further directed the Judicial Medical Officers of Colombo and Kandy and the Government Analyst to appear in courts at the next date.

When the case was taken up for inquiry Monday at Teledeniya courts, the Welikada prison authorities submitted the special medical report given by a cardiologist of the Colombo National Hospital, stating that General Ratwatte could not be taken by road from Colombo to Teledeniya, as he was indisposed. Likewise Kandy Bogambara prison authorities too submitted medical certificates that Lohan and Chanukah, sons of General Ratwatte were not in a position to attend courts, as they were also indisposed.

The Magistrate Ms Inoka Ranasinghe rejected all the three medical certificates stating that they were not presented to the courts through the Colombo and Kandy Judicial Medical Officers. The court further directed the prison authorities that the suspects, General Ratwatte and his sons Lohan and Chanukah should be produced in courts at the next date.

The Interior Ministry last week ordered the Commissioner of Prisons to transport Gen.Ratwatte by road for the case. This directive came as the question on who pays the bills for the earlier helicopter rides of General Ratwatte from Welikada prisons, Colombo to Teledeniya courts in Kandy district.

The Magistrate instructed the prison authorities that the suspects be provided accommodation and other facilities according to the law of the prison. She made this order when the Attorneys watching the interests of the deceased brought to the notice of the court that General Ratwatte and his two sons were enjoying extra privileges in Welikada and Bogambara prisons.

The Magistrate further instructed that the Superintendents of Bogambara and Welikada prisons should be present in courts at the next date along with the legal guidelines of the prisons.

The Court put off the inquiry for April 01 and ordered all the 35 accused to be present on that date.