<b>High Court in Magazine Jail to hear PTA cases</b>

Franklin R. Satyapalan - The Island

A special high court will be set up inside the Magazine Prison in Colombo to hear some major terrorist-related cases including the Central Bank bombing, the attacks on the Dalada Maligawa, the Galadari Hotel and the World Trade Centre following a decision to expedite the disposal of cases under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), an Attorney-General’s Department spokesman said yesterday.

This has been decided by the Attorney-General K.C. Kamalasabeysan following a meeting between a delegation of the Tamil National Association (TNA) and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe at Temple Trees some days ago.

The TNA delegation led by TULF leader V. Ananda Sangari urged that detainees held under the PTA be either released or the hearing of their cases expedited. Many of these detainees have been held for a long period of time without their cases being taken up in the courts.

G.G. Ponnambalam Jr., MP, of the All Ceylon Tamil Congress (a constituent of the TNA) said yesterday after visiting the Kalutara Prison where many PTA suspects are held that they have been pushing for the early disposal of the cases against the suspects or their release.

"At this time when the government is negotiating with the LTTE and senior army officers and government ministers are shaking hands with LTTE leaders, there is no logic in continuing to hold these suspects in custody. The present political climate demands their release,’’ Ponnambalam said.

The AG’s Department spokesman said that about 300 less serious PTA cases will be reviewed and the release of the suspects considered. These suspects are held for failure to provide information of LTTE activities, training camps, etc.

"The special high court that will set in the Magazine Prison will hear the more serious cases quickly,’’ he said.

The Attorney-General is strongly of the view that those suspects in custody for serious offences cannot be released without trial.

Since the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the government and the LTTE in February, steps have been taken to release about 450 suspects held for relatively minor offences or in instances where evidence is insufficient for prosecution.

-The Island -