Ward Place heroin case:

Accused faints while police identify bags containing heroin

Sandasen MARASINGHE

COLOMBO: The second accused in the Ward Place heroin case, Jayagodage Upali Abeygunawardana, fainted in the dock yesterday while Police Inspector Priyantha Liyanage of the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) was identifying bags containing heroin when produced before Colombo High Court Judge Upali Abeyratne.

Abeygunawardana was accompanied out of the court house by the prison officers with the Judge's consent. Hearing was adjourned and the case was put off for March 31.

Mohommed Samoon Mohommed Shiyam, Jayagodage Upali Abeygunawardana and Murshida Shiyam alias Murshida Mubarak Murshida are indicted with six counts.

They were taken into custody by the PNB at Ward Place with bags containing heroin weighing 23 kgs on November 28, 2003.

Examined by Senior State Counsel Chethiya Gunasekara, IP Priyantha Liyanage of the PNB stated that he observed that the first accused came out of the house and went in on the day in question and came out again.

After the first and second accused were taken into custody, he went into the house and the third accused was in the bedroom.

HC Judge Upali Abeyratne: You told earlier that there were parcels of heroin in the room. Where were they?

Witness: They were under the bed.

The witness said he himself sealed the parcels at the PNB. Thereafter they were handed over to Sub Inspector Rajakaruna of the PNB who is the in-charge of productions. He said he could identify the parcels.

While the witness identified the parcels the second accused fainted in the dock. With the consent of the Court, the second accused was accompanied out of the Court House. The case was put off for March 31.

According to the first count, the first accused had been in possession of 1.290 kg of heroin at Ward Place on November 28, 2003.

The second accused had aided and abetted the first accused in trafficking them. The first and the third accused had in possession 7.796 kgs of heroin at the same place the same day.

Deputy Solicitor General Shavindra Fernando, Senior State Counsel Chethiya Gunasekara and State Counsel Disna Warnakula appeared for the Attorney General.

President's Counsel Tirantha Walaliyadda, President's Counsel Rienzie Arsacularatne and Attorney-at-law Anil Silva appeared for the first, second and third accused.