The case against Samarappulige Niraj Roshan alias Ali Roshan and six others for allegedly keeping four elephants in their possession without valid permits was yesterday fixed for December 5 by the Colombo Permanent High Court.
The case will be taken up again on December 5 to ascertain whether the defence received the required documents to proceed with the trial.
The Trial-at-Bar bench comprising High Court Judges Sampath Abeykoon (President), Sampath Wijeratne and Champa Janaki Rajaratne ordered the Attorney General to submit those documents in a proper manner.
The Attorney General yesterday added seven persons to the list of prosecution witnesses in the case.
On a previous occasion, the court had served indictments on seven accused, including two Wildlife officers.
The Attorney General had filed indictments against Samarappulige Niraj Roshan, Wildlife Officers Upali Padmasiri and Priyanka Sanjeewani, Gihan Dhammika, Chandana Kumara, S. Gamlath and Gamage Jayalath for conspiring to possess four elephants without permits between June 5, 2012 and August 31, 2015.
They have been charged under 24 counts for violating the provisions of the Fauna and Flora Ordinance and the Public Property Act.
It is alleged that the first accused Samarappulige Niraj Roshan alias Ali Roshan was the mastermind behind the racket where illegally caught wild elephant calves being sold to third parties.
The Attorney General has listed 15 items as production items and named 30 individuals including two veterinary surgeons of the Wildlife Department and two professors of the Peradeniya University Veterinary Department as witnesses.
from daily news