From defender to defendant: lawyer booked for forgery in Anuradhapura

By Upali Ananda

A lawyer who had produced forged documents to enter Law College and to obtain a national identity card and a passport stands indicted in Anuradhapura High Court. The Attorney General has indicted him under five counts.

When the case was taken up for hearing, the judge ordered the State Counsel to produce in court the case productions on August 22.

A Judge of the North Central Province Court of Appeal P.M.Tilakratne has been appointed to hear the case on the request of Anuradhapura High Court Judge Viraj Ranathunga who informed the Chief Justice that the accused in the case was a lawyer in the unofficial bar practising in Anuradhapura courts and requested to appoint another judge to hear the case.

The date of birth of the accused according to his legitimate birth certificate was June 17, 1980 his forged birth certificate indicated it as January 29, 1983. Investigations revealed that his name was different on the two birth certificates and that he was in possession of two identity cards with the two names. He had produced the forged birth certificate for admission to the Law College and to obtain a passport, which he had used to travel abroad.

Anuradhapura Crime Investigation Branch had conducted investigations on a complaint received from a Civil Engineer Namal Surendra Wickremesinghe of Hidogama area. After non-summary proceedings in Anuradhapura Magistrate’s court, the Attorney General had filed indictments against the accused.