Court orders CID to verify State Minister Gamage’s British citizenship allegation from UK HC

By AJA Abeynayake

Colombo Chief Magistrate Prasanna Alwis yesterday ordered the CID to expeditiously obtain relevant documents pertaining to State Minister Diana Gamage’s alleged citizenship issue from the British High Commission in Colombo to carry out a comprehensive investigation.

Colombo Chief Magistrate Alwis said that it would not be appropriate to issue orders including an order of arrest until the court received relevant documents from the British High Commission.He ordered the CID to obtain a report from the British High Commission on State Minister Gamage’s citizenship.

The order was issued to the CID by the Colombo Magistrate’s Court when the case pertaining to the State Minister’s citizenship was taken up for hearing yesterday. A petition was filed by a civil activist named Oshala Herath challenging the citizenship of the State Minister of Tourism Diana Gamage.In the petition, Herath has sought a ruling that Gamage is not qualified to serve as a Member of the Sri Lankan Parliament due to her British citizenship.

The court had earlier imposed a travel ban on State Minister Gamage in connection with a magisterial inquiry into a complaint that she had obtained a Sri Lankan passport after furnishing false information to the Controller General of Immigration and Emigration.

The CID has filed a B report in the Chief Magistrate’s Court against Gamage over a complaint that she is a British citizen residing in Sri Lanka without a dual citizenship status.

According to the B report filed before court, the CID stated that investigations would be carried out against State Minister Gamage under section 175 of Penal Code for furnishing false information and under sections 45(1(a) and 45(1) (c) of the Immigrants and Emigrants Act (IEA) for remaining in Sri Lanka in contravention of the provision of the IEA and making a false representation.