Time Running Out For Udayanga Weeratunga? Court To Decide On International Arrest Warrant

September 26, 2016

Colombo Fort Magistrate on Friday will decide on issuing of an international arrest warrant on former Ambassador to Russia Udayanga Weeratunga over the MiG deal investigation conducted by the FCID.

The FCID today told the court that Weeratunga seems to be intentionally avoiding the receiving of the summons to the courts.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on August 10 informed Colombo Fort Magistrate that the ministry is unable to handover the notice issued to former Sri Lankan Ambassador Udayanga Weeratunga to appear at court over the alleged financial fraud during the purchase of MiG aircrafts to the Sri Lanka Air Force.

The court had earlier instructed the Ministry to hand over the notice through international channels since Weeratunga was out of the country. However, he was not present at his address in Ukraine, the Ministry said.

Meanwhile, the court in August also directed the police to inquire in to the misplacement of the original documents pertaining to the deal. The FCID today told court that copies of these documents are suspected to be in the possession of Weeratunga.

Weeratunga was Sri Lanka's Ambassador to Russia from 2006 to January, 2015.