Sri Lankan court refuses bail to fleeing LTTE suspects

A Sri Lankan court Thursday has refused to grant bail to 17 suspected LTTE rebels who were arrested when they were trying to flee the country last month.


The Colombo Magistrate's Court has refused bail to the suspects and ordered them to be further remanded until March 17.
The Sri Lanka Navy arrested the 17 suspected rebels on February 19 when they were heading toward Australia onboard a multi-day fishing trawler in the sea 20 nautical miles off Hambantota.

The counsels for the suspects have asked the court to release them on bail when they were produced before the Magistrate but the Criminal Investigations Department conducting the investigations had told the court that they have yet to complete the investigation.