RADA Case to be Heard in Absentia of Emil Kanthan on March 17

The Attorney General had filed criminal proceedings against four accused-former Chairman of RADA Tiran Alles, former North and Eastern Provinces LTTE Financial Head Emil Kanthan, former Chief Operating Officer (COO) of RADA Saliya Wickramasuriya and Dr. Jayantha Dias Samarasinghe in connection with controversial RADA fraud.

On October 18, the Supreme Court had pronounced that the Attorney General has no obstacle to file indictments against Tiran Alles in the High Court and observed that the Interim Order issued by Supreme Court did not bar the Attorney General filing indictments against the petitioner (Tiran Alles) based on the findings of the investigation into the incident.

The second accused Emil Kanthan is currently evading courts and the Colombo Special High Court had also issued an open warrant for his arrest.

The Attorney General’s Department yesterday  informed the Colombo High Court that the Police Special Investigation Unit (SIU) had failed to execute the open warrant issued for the arrest of former North and Eastern Provinces LTTE Financial Head Emil Kanthan, in connection with a Rs. 200 million fraud that had allegedly taken place at the RADA in 2006.

Additional Solicitor General Yasantha Kodagoda PC appearing for the Attorney General informed Court that the SIU was unable to execute the open warrant issued against Emil Kanthan, the second accused in the case.

He further informed High Court judge Vikum Kaluarachchi that the prosecution is expecting to proceed with the case in absentia of the second accused in terms of the section 241 of the Criminal Procedure Code. Accordingly, six witnesses were noticed to appear before Colombo High Court on March 17 in order to lead evidence in absentia of Emil Kanthan.