The charges filed against Swiss Embassy Staffer Garnier Bannister for allegedly providing false information to embarrass the government, was yesterday amended before the Colombo High Court.
The case was taken up before the Colombo High Court Judge Namal Balalle. The case will be taken up again on June 21.
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 CID officers.
Garnier Bannister Francis, a Sri Lankan Tamil woman from Maligawatta who works at the Swiss Embassy had lodged a complaint that she was kidnapped and assaulted by five men in the Cinnamon Gardens (Kurunduwatta) area on November 25, 2019, sexually assaulted and detained for several hours after questioning over the issuing of a visa to Nishantha Silva who worked as a CID officer. A second official of the Sri Lankan Embassy in Switzerland had lodged a written complaint with the Inspector General of Police on November 27, 2019.
The CID had commenced investigations on the instructions of the Inspector General and the complaint stated that the abducted woman had been abducted near her child’s school that day.
During the investigation, the 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 traveling abroad ordered her to appear before the CID before December 9.
Also, on December 16, 2019, on the instructions of the Attorney General, Garnier Barrister was named as a suspect in the case and the CID arrested her and produced her before court. Following that, she was remanded and was released on bail on December 30, 2019.