Diana Gamage ‘never obtained dual citizenship’
COLOMBO: State Minister of Tourism Diana Gamage, in a statement made to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), has said that she had revoked her British citizenship by handing over documents stating that she did not need British citizenship after 2014, and that she had never obtained dual citizenship.
According to the Citizenship Act, No. 18 of 1948, the citizenship of a Sri Lankan citizen ceases when they obtain citizenship in another country. They should make the relevant applications and obtain dual citizenship if they desire to resume the status as a citizen of Sri Lanka.
Early this month, the CID had recorded a statement from Gamage in relation to the complaint which had been lodged by activist Oshala Herath, alleging that Gamage had obtained two Sri Lankan diplomatic passports while holding two British passports, and had submitted forged documents including a fake birth certificate to obtain them.
The related case is being heard at the Colombo Magistrate’s Court.
According to the relevant statement, which was seen by The Daily Morning, the CID has questioned Gamage about the fact that she was mentioned as a British citizen in the data available in the Department of Immigration and Emigration in relation to obtaining residence visa to stay in Sri Lanka by furnishing two British passports bearing numbers 094425352 and 521398876. In response, she has claimed that her mother is a British citizen, and that she had therefore received British citizenship through her mother. However, she has mentioned that she had lived in the United Kingdom since 1981 and returned to Sri Lanka in 2014. At that time, she claimed that she had submitted the relevant documents stating that she did not need British citizenship, after which it was revoked.
At that time, the CID had queried her as to whether she had obtained dual citizenship at any time. In response, Gamage has stated that she had never obtained dual citizenship. The CID has also shown her the documents related to the visas she had obtained to stay in Sri Lanka and Gamage has admitted that they are related to her.
Meanwhile, the CID has also questioned Gamage about the birth certificate bearing number 6553 which is believed to have been used by her to obtain a Sri Lankan passport. In relation to that, she has mentioned that she has never had such a birth certificate in her possession. She has further claimed that she has never used such a birth certificate or submitted such to the Immigration and Emigration Department.
The Additional District Registrar of the Thimbirigasyaya Divisional Secretariat (DS) Office, Jeewani Karunaratne had earlier said that she had examined the birth certificate bearing number 6553, which had been submitted by Gamage to obtain a passport, using the computer data system of the DS Office, and concluded that the relevant birth certificate was fake.
Two cases are being heard at the Colombo Magistrate’s Court and the Court of Appeal regarding Gamage’s alleged violation of the relevant laws by obtaining Sri Lankan passports while holding the British citizenship. Allegations of producing fake national identity cards (NIC), passports, and birth certificates to obtain passports have also been levelled against her. The Colombo Magistrate’s Court recently stated that there was sufficient evidence to support that Gamage had obtained a Sri Lankan passport by submitting a fake NIC and birth certificate.