Former UNP General Secretary and former minister Tissa Attanayake was remanded till December 5 by Colombo High Court judge Kusala Sarojini Weerawardhana over the preparation of a forged document.

Since he is charged for alleged propagation of racial and religious hatred under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights Act No 56 of 2007, bail could be granted only on special circumstances, the court observed.

However, Attanayake can seek bail through a motion if he can present special circumstances, the court also said.

The Attorney General on September 9, filed indictment against Tissa Attanayake on three counts regarding the preparation of a forged document.

He is also charged under the Presidential Elections Act on allegedly displaying a forged document to the media, thereby affecting the campaign of the then candidate Maithripala Sirisena.

Furthermore, he is charged for the preparation of a forged document under Section 454 of the Penal Code.

Tissa Attanayake was the UNP Secretary General before he defected to the UPFA in December 2014 during the 2015 January Presidential Election campaign.

He displayed a document to the media which allegedly displayed an agreement between the then common candidate of the opposition Maithripala Sirisena and the then Leader of the Opposition Ranil Wickremesinghe.