Sumanthiran somersault on right of Attorney General to transfer cases if witness are threatened

The spokesman of the TNA and MP, M.A.Sumanthiran had said that the Attorney General is willing to revoke the transfer of TPPs to Anuradhapura but the witnesses are reluctant to testify at Vavuniya.

He said this while speaking to the media after the conclusion of a discussion on contemporary political situation held at the ITAK Office at Karanavai, yesterday.

Continuing further he said that, we have spoken to the President and the Attorney General regarding this. Arrangements have been made to release some TPPs through courts. We have expressed our opposition for transferring the case to Anuradhapura.

This decision regarding these cases, rest with the Attorney General. Politicians have no part in it.

Provisions have been made in the law to authorize Attorney General to transfer cases if threats are existing against the witnesses.

The witnesses in this case are three Tamils. They are former members of the LTTE. They are refusing to give evidence in Tamil areas. As they said that they could testify in courts in Sinhalese areas. That why the case was transferred to Anuradhapura, they are saying, he said.

However the same Sumanthiran, who is himself a President’s Counsel said a few days back, that cases could not be transferred just because threats exist for Witness. There could be no threats to witnesses after 8 years from the end of the war.