The Court of Appeal has acquitted Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Parliamentarian Premalal Jayasekara and two others of charges pertaining to the fatal shooting incident in Kahawatte during the Presidential Election in 2015.
The verdict was delivered by the Appeals Court judge bench consisting of Nissanka Bandula Karunaratne and R. Gurusinghe.
The appeals filed by former Deputy Minister Premalal Jayasekara, former Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council Member Nilantha Jayakody, and former Kahawatta Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman Vajira Darshana, against the death sentences handed to them by the Ratnapura High Court, were taken up before the said bench last morning (31 March).
Delivering the verdict, Appeals Court Judge Nissanka Bandula Karunaratne said there is no evidence of the three accused being in possession of firearms at the time of the incident and of them firing shots.
Thereby, the charges laid against them have not been proved beyond a reasonable doubt before the Ratnapura High Court, he added.
The fatal shooting in question took place on 5 January 2015 morning and resulted in the death of a political supporter who was decorating an election stage for the then-common candidate of the presidential election Maithripala Sirisena at Kahawatte. The victim, who was hospitalised following the shooting, had later succumbed to injuries.
The Pelmadulla Magistrate had later issued arrest warrants on the suspects involved.
Jayasekara, Jayakody, and Darshana were arrested in January 2015 over the election-related shooting incident. Jayasekara was later released on bail in December that year.
In July 2020, Jayasekara and the other two accused were sentenced to death over the fatal shooting incident. The verdict in the case had been delivered by the Ratnapura High Court.
SLPP MP Premalal Jayasekara acquitted in 2015 murder case
01 Apr 2022
SLPP MP Premalal Jayasekara acquitted in 2015 murder case
01 Apr 2022