Police reserve OIC acquitted by the HC on forgery charges after 19 years

Police reserve OIC acquitted by the HC on forgery charges after 19 yearsThe Colombo High Court today acquitted and discharged the former OIC of Sri Lanka Police Reserve Headquarters, Vijith Weerasinghe, from all the charges relating to a forgery that took place in 2004.

The Former OIC was indicted in the High Court for allegedly making forged documents to reinstate reserve Police Constable Marikkar Kabeer, who was sent on vacation from the post as he had secured employment abroad. The Police Constable Kabeer giving evidence stated that he appealed to the Inspector General of Police and Commandant of Sri Lanka Police Reserve Headquarters that he be reinstated soon after he returned to Sri Lanka after his foreign employment, and he has had no whatsoever contact with the accused.

The witness further said he had never seen the accused before he came to court. The Examiner of the questioned documents, Government Analyst Jayasundara, stated in his eviden ce that he is unable to express any opinion with regard to the signatures of the questioned documents as the investigating officers did not seek the signature of the accused to be compared with the signatures of the questioned documents.

Having considered the evidence led by the prosecution, the High Court judge Amal Ranaraja decided to acquit and discharge the accused without calling defence evidence as there is no prima facie case against the accused. Senior Counsel Darshana Kuruppu and Counsel Sudarsha De Silva appeared for the Accused.