The verdict on the murder of Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra, former President Rajapaksa’s advisor on labour relations and three others on October 08, 2011, the day of the last local government election at Kolonnawa, will be delivered tomorrow by the three-judge High Court bench that heard the case.
The case was heard before High Court Judges Shiran Guneratne, Padmini N. Ranawaka Gunatillake and M.C.B.S. Moraes.
In this case 13 persons, including former parliamentarian Duminda de Silva, were indicted with forming an unlawful mob with common intent to cause mayhem at Angoda, Mulleriyawa and Himbutana areas and causing the deaths of Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra, Damitha Darshana Jayatillake, Jalabdeen Mohammed Asim and Manivel Kumaraswamy. They were indicted with a total of 17 charges.
Nine of the accused are bodyguards of Duminda Silva. They are Vitanage Anura Thushara de Mel (police constable), Chandana Jagath Kumara, Chaminda Ravi Jayanath, Lanka Rasanjana, Malaka Sameera, Vidanagamage Amila,, Sarath Bandara, Suranga Premalal, Chaminda Saman Kumara Abeywickreme and Priyantha Janaka Bandara Galagoda.
Accused Priyantha Janaka Bandara Galagoda disappeared prior to the indictments being served and he was tried in absentia. The other three accused are R. Duminda Silva, Ministerial Security Division officers Rohana Marasinghe and Nagoda Liyanarachchi Shaminda.
