3rd accused tried to bribe PNB officer - SC

Ward Place heroin case :

Sandasen Marasinghe

COLOMBO: State Counsel appearing for the prosecution in the Ward Place Heroin Case submitted before the Court that he was instructed that third accused Murshida Shiyam who was on bail had attempted to bribe a PNB officer, listed as a defence witness, to give evidence in favour of the defence.

Senior State Counsel Shavindra Fernando making his submission before the Colombo High Court Judge Upali Abeyratne requested to re-remand Murshida Shiyam on the basis that if he had done so, it was a violation of the bail conditions.

Fernando further submitted that Police Constable Ashoka Pradeep of Police Narcotics Bureau was listed as a defence witness in the inquiry to decide whether the questioned video tape be listed as a production of the case.

When Pradeep was summoned before Court he stated that he was contacted over the mobile phone of another sergeant while his mobile phone was out of service.

Later on they took steps to record the dialogue and complain to the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption. Questioned by the High Court Judge, Pradeep stated that he was contacted through sergeant Ranjan and asked to give evidence in favour of the defence in return for a large sum of money.

Pradeep further stated that he was afraid to declare the entire dialogue since he thought it would pose a threat to his life. The Court observed that the inquiry be taken up on February 28.

When the case was taken up for hearing in the morning yesterday A jailor stated that Mohammed Shiyam took ill on the way to the Court from the remand prison and was rushed to the Prison Hospital.

Thereafter the Chief Physician Dr R.P.J.S. Wijesinghe of the Prison Hospital was summoned before the Court and he stated that Shiyam was brought before him by two jailors. Shiyam's condition was getting better and he stated that he would be able to appear before the Court. The Court thereafter ordered that the accused be produced before Court at 2 p.m.

Shiyam's daughter gave evidence before the court as a defence witness in the inquiry to decide whether the questioned video tape be enlisted as a production. Thereafter President's Counsel Rienzie Arsakularatne appearing for the second accused submitted that they did not want to question the other four defence witnesses since the defence was satisfied with the first witness' evidence.

The Attorney General indicted Mohammed Samoon Mohammed Shiyam, Jayagodage Upali Abeygunawardana and Murshida Shiyam alias Murshida Mubarak Murshida with six counts including for possession of 9 kg of pure heroin.

The group of PNB officers led by Inspector Priyantha Liyanage took the accused into the custody with bags of heroin weighing 23 kgs 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 9 kg 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 Rienzie Arsakularatne and Attorney-at-law Anil Silva appeared for the first, second and third accused respectively.