Ward Place Heroin case: List of defence witnesses submitted

Sandasen Marasinghe

COLOMBO:A list of 10 defence witnesses for the main accused of the Ward Place Heroin Case was submitted yesterday before Colombo High Court Judge Upali Abeyratne by President's Counsel Tirantha Walaliyadda appearing for the defence.

The Court issued summons on the 10 defence witnesses for the first accused of the case, Mohammed Shiyam, to appear before the Court on August 16.

The witnesses' list included OIC of the Child and Women's Bureau Chief Inspector Balachandra, the former OIC of PNB to produce the video cassettes with regard to the raid conducted on November 28, 2003 at No 76, Ward Place, Colombo 7.

Police Sergeant Karunatilake (37732) and Police Constable Fonseka (2547) of Police Narcotics Bureau to produce the video cassettes and the photographs taken at the raid on November 28, 2003 at no 76, Ward Place.

The list of witnesses also included OIC of the Colpetty Police, Chief Inspector Mahesh Perera and OIC of the Police Special Investigation Unit, OIC of the Colombo Crime Division to produce the documents pertaining to the inquiry held on the raid conducted by the PNB officers at dawn in Modara on November 28, 2003.

The Maligakanda Magistrate Court Registrar, Ranasimbulage Sunil Fonseka and a remand prisoner in the Magazine Prison too were among the witnesses in the defence witnesses' list.

In addition to the witnesses the defence submitted that 25 documents would be produced before the Court.

The Attorney General indicted Mohammed Samoon Mohammed Shiyam, Jayagodage Upali Abeygunawardana and Murshida Shiyam alias Murshida Mubarak Murshida with six counts in the Ward Place heroin case.

The PNB took the accused into custody with bags of heroin weighing 23kg on November 28, 2003 at the residence of the first and the third accused at Ward Place. The Government Analyst Department revealed that it contained 9kg of pure heroin.

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

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