Archives

Hotel attack: Two suspects granted bail

Business tycoon Ravi Wettasinghe and Milinda Ekanayake, two suspects in the mob attack at the Trans Asia Hotel on November 3, who appeared on notice before the Colombo Fort Magistrate and Additional District Judge Priyantha Fernando, were granted bail yesterday.

The Judge ordered the two to furnish a bond of Rs. 100,000 each with two sureties. They were directed to appear in court on December 14.

Granting bail, the Judge directed the suspects not to interfere with the prosecution witnesses. If they violated the bail conditions, the court would cancel the bail bond.

At the last hearing State Counsel Haripriya Jayasundera, appearing with police for the prosecution, submitted that Wettasinghe would be charged on several counts including unlawful assembly in connection with the attack at the hotel.

The State Counsel said Wettasinghe and Ekanayake arrested by Slave Island Police following the attack had been released on police bail after recording their statements and asked to appear in court when noticed.

Jayasundera submitted to court that police will file action against all suspects under Sections 140, 314 and 380 of the Criminal Procedure Code. Kulasuriya Haran Shantha of Hataraliyadda will be charged separately for possession of a firearm during the incident, the State Counsel said. Shantha was remanded until December 9.

Four suspects remanded in connection with the attack at the hotel were identified by seven prosecution witnesses at an identification parade held by Acting Colombo Fort Magistrate Palitha Liyanage. They are A.K. Sarath Chandrasena, G. Susantha, Sarath Dharshana Silva and Neomal Perera. They were granted cash bail in Rs. 5,000 and surety bail in Rs. 25,000 each.

The other suspects earlier granted bail are Nitthikumara Hathwella, Gamini Alfred, R.M. Chularatne, S. Priyalal Hinduma, Ajith Hemachandra, Mohamed Rafeek and Ranil de Silva.

Channa Gunaratne, Anoja Premaratne, Shiraz Noordeen, Sujith Perera and Prasanna Weerasekera appeared for the suspects.

President's Counsel Daya Perera with Denzil Gunaratne, Jayantha Dias Nanayakkara, Buddhika Jayasinghe and Udayanthi Seneviratne watched the interests of the complainant.

Nishantha Nanayakkara, Mahesh Kalugampitiya and Vasu Mallawarachchi watched the interest of Trans Asia Hotel. S M

News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security
Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries |

Produced by Lake House
Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager