Lamahewa to hang, Rangajeewa acquitted in 2012 Welikada case

The Colombo High Court Trial-at-Bar yesterday sentenced to death former Magazine Prison Superintendent Lamahewage Emil Ranjan while Police Inspector Moses Neomal Rangajeewa of the Police Narcotics Bureau was acquitted from all charges in the case filed against them.

This is in connection with the killing of eight inmates during the Welikada Prison Riots that took place on November 9, 2012.

The judgement was delivered as a ‘Judgement of Court’ by the Colombo High Court Trial-at-Bar bench comprising Colombo High Court Judges Gihan Kulathunga (President), Pradeep Hettiarachchi and Manjula Thilakarathna.

Taking into consideration the evidence that transpired during a lengthy trial, the Colombo High Court Trial-at-Bar observed that the prosecution has failed to prove the charges against the first accused Moses Rangajeewa beyond reasonable doubt and the prosecution was only able to prove one charge in the charge sheet against Emil Ranjan.

Delivering the Judgement, the Colombo High Court Trial-at-Bar maintained that there was no sufficient evidence to prove the charges against the first accused and the allegations made by the prosecution had not been proved before Court.

Accordingly, the first accused, Moses Rangajeewa was acquitted from all charges against him and the second accused Emil Ranjan was sentenced to death by the Colombo High Court Trial-at-Bar.

The Attorney General had filed indictment comprising 33 charges against Moses Rangajeewa attached to the Police Narcotics Bureau and former Magazine Prison Superintendent Lamahewage Emil Ranjan and Prison officer Indika Sampath over the killing of eight inmates during the Welikada Prison Riots that took place on November 9, 2012. Prison officer Indika Sampath was released by the Court at the beginning of the trial due to the lack of sufficient evidence to prove the charges against him.