The Gampaha Special High Court three-member bench of judges ordered the Mahara Prison Superintendent yesterday (31) afternoon, to appear before Court on September 19 to give reasons for taking a defendant to another court without producing him at the Gampaha Special High Court in the murder case of Polonnaruwa MP Amarakeerthi Athukorala.
The case was taken up for hearing yesterday (31) afternoon before the three-judge panel consisting of Judges Sahan Mapa Bandara (Chairman), Rashmi Singappuli and Ruwan Pathirana.
Thirty-five defendants who were released on bail appeared in Court and out of the two defendants who were kept in remand custody since they could not post the bail that was set, only the defendant named Ramaiah Sathya Kumar was produced in Court by Prison officials.
A Prison officer submitted a letter stating that the defendant named Kasun Saman Kumara, who is on remand, has been taken to the Kegalle High Court for another case.
Deputy Solicitor General Janaka Bandara stated that a suspect who must be produced in this special High Court being taken to another Court without permission, is a serious issue and if Prison officials allow the accused to be taken to other Courts, this way, it will hinder the continuation of this case. Therefore, he requested Court to pay attention to it. The judges focused on this and ordered the Mahara Prison SP to appear before court on the next court date to show cause for not presenting the accused in Court.
Deputy Solicitor General Janaka Bandara again submitting facts said; The defence counsel tried for two days to show the unedited footage of the incident to the lawyers of the defendant’s faction but as the DVR equipment could not be activated, they said that a plan would be submitted the next day.
On the afternoon of May 9, last year, when the peaceful struggle at Galle Face was attacked by mobs, during the nationwide public unrest the occurred, former Polonnaruwa District MP Amarakeerthi Athukorala and Ahangama Witharanalage Jayantha Gunawardene, who was his security detail were killed in the Nittambuwa town.
The Criminal Investigation Department’s Homicide and Organized Crime Investigation Division had conducted investigations and arrested forty persons, allegedly related to the murders.
Among those forty people, one person had been released and two others died at the Mahara prison. Two escaped before being arrested. Charges have been filed against the remaining thirty-seven accused and thirty-nine accused, including the two-absconding accused. The case was adjourned until September 19.
Lawyers Chaminda Athukorala, Thilanga Blok, Mark Anton, Harith Hettiarachchi, Sandun Ranasinghe, Suranga Jayathilaka, Salinda Amarasinghe, Lal Kumarapeli, Upul Abeywickrama,
Pradeep Perera and Shirani Dissanayake appeared for the defence.
Deputy Solicitor General Janaka Bandara led the prosecution along with State Counsels Krishan Alwis and Oswald Perera.
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