From defender to defendant: lawyer booked for forgery in Anuradhapura

• Investigations reveal the accused had different names on two birth certificates

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.