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Udatalawinna mass murder : Ratwatte refused bail

by Kumar Wethasinghe

The Trial at Bar hearing the Udatalawinna mass murder case yesterday refused a bail application made on behalf of the first accused, former Deputy Defence Minister, General Anuruddha Ratwatte.

The Trial at Bar comprised High Court Judges, Eric Basnayake (President), Deepali Wijesundara and Sunil Rajapaksa.

The courts refusal was sequel to a bail application made on behalf of the first accused by the Defence Counsel, R. I. Obeyesekere, PC on Wednesday.

However the court favourably considered an application made by the defence to provide transport facilities to the accused as far as practicable to the closest range of the court house.

Examined by the Deputy Solicitor General the prosecution's first witness Brigadier, Nimal Kingsly Jayasuriya, Director Operations of SL Army was then made to testify before court.

According to the indictment, the accused are charged under 72 counts including conspiracy to commit murders, unlawful assembly and aiding and abetting and committing the said murders on 2001 General Election day.

The accused are namely Anuruddha Ratwatte, Lohan Ratwatte, Chanuka Ratwatte, W. M. R. Bandara Dharmasiri, H. M. Sunil Chandra de Silva, G. H. Kamal Wijeratne, E. Anura Kumara, D. M. B. S. Dissanayaka, K. A. N. Rohan Kuruppu, M. K. Krishantha Indika Wijeratne, S. N. Dammika Siriwardana, D. M. Dissanayaka alias Pan Mahanda, Sean Wanigasekara, Nalin Wasantha Ratgama, H. W. Kingsley Witharana.

Deputy Solicitor General Palitha Fernando with State Counsel Achala Wengappuli, Mohan Senaviratne and S. K. Wickramarachchi appeared for the prosecution.

The Counsel for the defence were R.I. Obeyesekere PC and Wijaya Wickramaratne PC, with Ramyachandra Gunasekara and Prasanna Obeyesekere appeared for the first accused. Tirantha Walaliyadda with W. Samarajeewa, M. B. Jayasinghe (for 2 and 3 accused). S. L Gunasekara, Ashly Herat and Anil Silva (for 4th to 8th accused). A. W. Usup, A. R. M. Raheem, Piyal Ratnayaka (9 to 11). Udaya Rohan De Silva with Sudath Karawita (for 10th accused) and R.I. Obeyesekere, PC with Champani Padmasekara, S. A. Premarathna and L. Liyanarachchi (for 12, 13, 14 and 15 accused).

Counsel for the aggrieved parties were Upul Jayasuriya, Kolitha Dharmawardena, Lakshman Perera, Ronald Perera, M. N. Saheed, Prasanna de Alwis Faizer Musthapa, Panduka Keerthiratna and Sampath Soyza instructed by Samararatna Associates for the families of the deceased T. M. Fizer, Abdul Munaf Mohammed Mohideen, Mohommed Mirfan and Sakanya Mohommed Rizvan and for the injured Mohammed Naseim Abdul Malik.

Mohammed Rafeem, Mohammed Nazmy, Mohammed Sali Mohammed Nazar, Hanifa Mohammed Rizvan and Mohammed Ikbal Mohammed Aswar watched the interests of the families of the deceased.

Kolitha Dharmawardana, Lakshman Perera, Ronald Perera, M. M. Saheed, H. G. Husain, Faizer Musthapa, Farman Cassim, Sesiri Herath. Captain K. D. L. Saman Kumara (Army legal officer) appeared for the soldiers.

Further trial resumes on Monday. 

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Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
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