Bharatha killing: Court orders a reminder to AG

ByT. Farook Thajudeen

A Colombo court yesterday directed the CID to send a reminder to the Attorney General with regard to his opinion on the investigations into the killing of former presidential adviser Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra.

Additional Magistrate Prasanna De Alwis made this direction after considering the submissions made by counsel for the suspects.

The counsel said that one year had lapsed and the suspects were remanded without charges. They said it was unfair by their clients.

President Counsel Jayantha Weerasinghe appearing for the third suspect asked whether the court would hear the matter as a summery inquiry or as a non-summery inquiry. He said the CID keeps saying that it had sought the AG’s advice. Weerasinghe asked when the AG would submit his opinion and asked Court to direct the CID to file a report in the next hearing date.

Counsel Weerasena Ranahewa said he was appearing for Duminda Silva on the instruction of President’s Counsel Hermantha Warnakulasuriya. He said the investigations conducted so far had not revealed any offences against his client. He said his client was innocent and even the AG would not be able make his client a suspect in the case.

He said the entire world was watching this case with interest as to what would happen to suspect Duminda Silva. He contended that the expert report filed in court over the shooting had revealed the weapon from which the shots were fired and that this would be revealed in time to come.

Counsel Upul Kumarapperuma watching the interest of Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra’s wife said Counsel Weerasena Ranahewa had erroneously said Duminda Silva was the 17th suspect.

He said Duminda Silva was made a suspect on the order of the Magistrate, who made that order on considering the submissions of President Counsel Thirantha Walaliyadda. Otherwise, the CID would have not made Duminda Silva a suspect.

The counsel said all the suspects had been aggrieved by keeping them in remand without framing charges. He also asked to order the CID to file a report.

Counsel Jagath Abeynayake appearing for twentieth suspect Rajapurage Gamini submitted that his client’s left eye had been badly injured by a shot received on the eye and the condition had deteriorated due to infection. He said the eye would have to be removed to replace with a prosthetic eye and as such to direct the prison authorities to not to move his client from Prison Hospital to a normal cell in the remand prison. The suspects were remanded till 16 October.