Visit not politically motivated

7 June 2011 12:39 pm Views - 4327

Inter Parliamentary Union Representative Mark Trowell, who is a Queen’s Counsel said today he was present at Monday’s Colombo High Court proceedings on the white flag case against former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka as an independent observer and there was no politics involved.
Mr. Trowell said he was in court not at the request of a political party or an individual but solely at the request of the IPU.

“I want to make it perfectly clear that the reason for my being present in Court is at the request of the IPU, and as an independent and impartial observer of these proceedings,” he said.

Mr. Trowell also thanked the Attorney General and his officials as well as retired former General Fonseka’s legal team for the assistance they had given him with regard to his presence in court.

On Monday senior defense counsel Nalin Ladduwahetty was introduced to Mr. Trowell by Deputy Solicitor General Buvaneka Aluvihare. He later spoke to former General Fonseka and his wife Anoma before the start of the trial. He also met several opposition MPs including UNP parliamentarian Palitha Range Bandara, DNA parliamentarians Tiran Alles and Jayantha Ketagoda. (Daily Mirror online)