SJB MP Chaminda Wijesiri was yesterday (28) sentenced to one-and-a-half years’ imprisonment by the Badulla High Court after being found guilty of wrongful restraint, assault, causing injuries, and issuing death threats to two Police officers in 2019.

The Court had earlier found Wijesiri and his driver Bandula Rathnayake guilty of four charges, while an officer attached to the Ministerial Security Division (MSD), Rasika Karunathilaka, was found guilty of three charges in connection with the incident.

However, the Court was informed during proceedings that Rathnayake had passed away.

The case stemmed from an incident on or around 10 February 2019, when Wijesiri and a group travelling in several sports utility vehicles allegedly became involved in an altercation near the Bandarawela Town roundabout after a Police jeep overtook their vehicle.

The prosecution told Court that Wijesiri and the group had obstructed the path of the Police jeep, threatened the officers inside with death, and assaulted them, causing bodily injuries.

The charges against the accused included wrongful restraint, assault, causing hurt, and criminal intimidation.

The case had been filed against Wijesiri, his driver Rathnayake, and MSD officer Karunathilaka following investigations into the alleged attack on the two Police officers.