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Angulana double murder:
Death sentence for four policemen
Sarath MALALASEKERA
The four Police officers, accused in the Angulana Police Station
double murder case, were yesterday sentenced to death by the Trial at
Bar consisting of High Court Judge Deepali Wijesundera (Chairman), High
Court Judge W.T.M.G.B. Warawewa and High Court Judge Kumudini
Wickremasinghe. The four accused in the case were former OIC Angulana
Police Station Inspector D. Newton, Police Constables G. I. Kumarasiri,
Nihal Jayarathna and Reserve PC Janapriya Sumanaratna. They were charged
with abduction and murder of two inmates of the Angulana Police station.
The two inmates were Dinesh Tharanga Fernando and Danushka
Udayakantha Aponsu.
The 124-page Sinhala judgement read out in open Court by the Court
Mudliyar S A M Naffli stated that the four accused are found guilty of
all the charges preferred against them.
In addition to the death sentence the four accused were further
sentenced to forty years rigorous imprisonment on four counts and fined
Rs.100,000, (Rs.25,000 on each count). In default of the fine they were
sentenced to a further two years RI.
The prosecution team led by Deputy Solicitor General Jayantha
Jayasuriya had proved the charges against the four accused beyond
reasonable doubt, the judgement stated.
The four accused were asked whether they had anything to say before
the Court announce the death sentence on them.
All four accused told Court that they were innocent and had no
involvement in the abduction and murder of the two inmates.
During the trial, five policemen attached to the Angulana Police
Station including a former Police Driver attached to the same Police
Station N.M. Rohana Bandara Navarathna testified before the Trial at
Bar.
Deputy Solicitor General Jayantha Jayasuriya with State Counsel Yohan
Liyanage, State Counsel Lakmini Girihagama, State Counsel Iroma
Nanayakkara, State Counsel Priyani Abeygunawardena and State Counsel
Chandra Athukorala appeared for the Attorney General.
President�s Counsel Anil Silva, President�s Counsel Tirantha
Walaliyadda, Attorneys Y. R. de Silva and Gamini Alwis appeared for the
defence.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) team who conducted the
investigation into the murder are DIGs Nandana Munasinghe, Ravi
Waidyalankara, Wije Amerasinghe, Jayantha Kulathilaka, ASP Shan
Abeysinghe, Inspector Ranjith Munasinghe, OIC Special branch, IP Aruna
Jayasinghe, SI M A S Mohamed PS Upali and PS Premakumara.
After the judgement was announced the parents of the two dead persons
who were present in Court praised the CID team for the excellent job
done during the investigations to find the culprits who killed their
sons.
A large number of persons were present inside the Court and outside
the court premises to hear the verdict. |
