A sudden power failure forced an early adjournment of the White Flag Trial-at-Bar, which was taken up before the Colombo High Court yesterday.



At the beginning, acting leader of the UNP, Parliamentrian Karu Jayasuriya, giving evidence, said that he had read an interview given to the Sunday Leader newspaper of 13.12.2009 by Gen. Sarath Fonseka.



The Bench comprised Judges Deepali Wijesundara (President), W. T. M. P. B. Warawewa and M. Z. Razeen.



"I telephoned the former army commander and inquired about the story and he (General) said it was totally out of context," Jayasuriya recalled.



At this point, Defence Counsel Nalin Ladduwahetty led evidence from witness Jayasuriya.



Counsel: You are an elected member of parliament.



Witness: Yes



‘White Flag’ case...



Counsel: Are you the Deputy Leader of the UNP?



Witness: Yes



Counsel: You have also served as a ruling party (UPFA) minister. (UPFA).



Witness: Yes



Counsel: You held responsible positions in some leading mercantile companies.



Witness: Yes



Counsel: You were actively involved in the election campaign of December 2009. Which election was that?



Witness: That was for the 2010 Presidential election. General Sarath Fonseka was the common opposition candidate and a number of parties, including the UNP and the JVP, supported his candidature.



Counsel: When was the election held?



Witness: January 2010.



Counsel: When did you commence the campaign for the election?



Witness: By December 2009, we started the election campaign.



Counsel: Have you read the ‘Sunday Leader’ newspaper before this date?



Witness: yes



At this point there was a power failure and Court adjourned.



The Court will resume sittings in the morning today. High Court Judge W. T. M. P. B. Warawewa, one of the presiding judges said, at this point, that a colossal amount of money was being spent on unnecessary things but there was no generator in the Court House to be used in an emergency.



He said eight million rupees had been spent to construct a car park at the Hulftsdorp Courts Complex, but in their Court Complex, where 20 to 30 judges were hearing cases, attended by hundreds of litigants, lawyers, and the public, the lack of a generator was putting all into inconvenience.



"On the other hand, we cannot hear cases with doors of the Court room open due to security considerations," the judge noted.