The Attorney General today informed the Court of Appeal that the Chinese national who filed a writ petition challenging his deportation to China following the possession of forged passports was a wanted person in China over a case relating to a drug offence
Deputy Solicitor General Janaka Bandara made these revelations when the writ petition filed by the Chinese national challenging his deportation to China was taken up before the Court of Appeal.
The Deputy Solicitor General further stated that a Chinese court had issued an arrest warrant against this person in 2019 over a pending case relating to drug offences.
Meanwhile, President’s Counsel Sanjeewa Jayawardena, appearing for the petitioner Li Pan, informed the court that he had received instructions from his client to withdraw the application. Accordingly, the Court of Appeal’s two-judge bench, comprising Justices Nissanka Bandula Karunaratne and M.A.R. Marikkar, allowed the petitioner to withdraw the petition, and the matter was dismissed accordingly.
The Chinese national in question attempted to enter the country with a fake passport allegedly issued by the state of Guinea was caught by the Immigration Department and was about to be deported when state minister Arundika Fernando communicated with the Immigration Department, saying that he was an investor in a housing project and had requested that he be released.
After the written communication by the State Minister, Arundika Fernando, the Chinese national was released with this fake passport, but on the advice of the Minister of Public Security, Tiran Alas, the Department of Immigration prepared the necessary arrangements to arrest him and deport him from the country.
At that time, the arrested person in question filed a writ petition before the Court of Appeal, asking for an order to prevent his extradition to China and to extradite him to his home state of Dubai.
When the petition was heard today, it was revealed that this Chinese national was involved in drug offences, and the Chinese government had issued warrants for his arrest.
This Chinese national tried to enter Sri Lanka on the 18th using a fake passport, allegedly from the state of Guinea. They arrived at Katunayake Airport from Dubai on Emirates flight EK-648 at 09.50 that night. There were two others with him: a Chinese and an Egyptian. All of them kicked up a row, forcing the officials to let them enter the country.
Katunayake immigration officers arrested the Chinese national who came from Dubai and tried to enter Sri Lanka after it was confirmed that the passport was fake and he had two passports with him. The other two were cleared, while the petitioner was held back for further questioning. He also had a Chinese passport but did not produce it at the immigration counter. Later, it was revealed that he was a wanted person in China.
