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Bail to Sumathipala 'illegal' | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Supreme Court in Sri Lanka has ruled that the Appeals Court has violated country’s law by releasing former head of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), Thilanga Sumathipala, on bail. A five-member bench headed by Justice Dr. Shirani Bandaranaike unanimously ruled that the earlier ruling by the Appeals Court to grant bail to Sumathipala, who is charged under Immigration and Emigration act. The Supreme Court ruled that no court in the island has right to grant bail to a suspect charged under the said act. The Appeals Court has no other rights than to revise a judgment according to penal code, the Bench said. The judiciary hence declared invalid the judgment by the Appeals Court on 18 June 2004 to grant bail to Sumathipala. The former SLC president was charged with helping a criminal gang leader to forge documents to leave Sri Lanka for 1999 Cricket World Cup held in England. The Supreme Court however ruled, upon a request by the Attorney General (AG), that the latest decision will not have any impact on Sumathipala’s bail. The AG has sought a judicial ruling whether the Appeals Court could grant bail to suspects charged under the Immigration Act. | LOCAL LINKS  Sri Lanka board in gambling claim Sandeshaya Elected cricket board on war path 28 March, 2005 | Sandeshaya Thilanga appeals to sports minister27 March, 2005 | Sandeshaya New board ‘will not betray trust’25 March, 2005 | Sandeshaya Minister dissolves cricket board24 March, 2005 | Sandeshaya | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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