The Attorney General was yesterday granted permission to amend the charge sheet filed against Swiss Embassy staffer
Garnier Bannister for allegedly providing false information to embarrass the government by the Colombo High Court.
The case was taken up before the Colombo High Court Judge Namal Balalle. After considering the request made by the Attorney General to amend the Charge sheet, the order was made by the Colombo High Court Judge.
The case will be taken up again on June 15.At a previous occasion, President’s Counsel Kalinga Indatissa appearing for the accused raised a preliminary objection and stated that the charges related to this case have been filed under Sections 189 and 190 of the Penal Code. The President’s Counsel also pointed out that according to those Sections, it is not possible to pursue charges against the accused.
Deputy Solicitor General Janaka Bandara appearing on behalf of the Attorney General informed the court that there is a possibility to maintain the charges against the accused. The Attorney General filed an indictment in the Colombo High Court against Swiss Embassy staffer Garnier Bannister Francis over fabricating false evidence over an abduction of her by the CID officers. Francis, a Sri Lankan Tamil woman from Maligawatta who works at the Swiss Embassy as a visa officer,had lodged a complaint that she was kidnapped and assaulted by five men in the Cinnamon Gardens (Kuruduwatta) area on November 25, 2019, sexually assaulted and detained for several hours after questioning issuing visa to Nishantha Silva who worked as an Inspector to the CID. A second official of the Sri Lankan Embassy in Switzerland had lodged a written complaint with the Acting Inspector General of Police on November 27, 2019.
The CID had commenced investigations on the instructions of the Acting Inspector General of Police and the complaint stated that the abducted woman had been abducted while going to her child’s school that day.
During the investigation, Garnier Barrister Francis was summoned to the CID for interrogation, but on her failure to do so, the Colombo Chief Magistrate, who had imposed a travel ban against her from travelling abroad ordered her to appear before the CID before December 9.