Sivaram Dharmaratnam case:

Jury trial put off for August 26

Sandasen Marasinghe

Colombo High Court Judge W.A.T. Ratnayake on Monday put off the jury trial of the assassination of Sivaram Dharmaratnam alias Tharaki the Tamilnet website columnist for August 26 since the third witness of the case was abroad.

The Court postponed the jury trial when the Senior State Counsel Achala Wengappuli pleaded to put off the case since the first witness P.A. Kusal Perera of Boralesgamuwa had promised to inform the Court of the arrival date of third witness Prasanna Pubudu Ratnayake of Rajagiriya Road, Rajagiriya.

The Court observed that a jury trial could not be continued without witnesses. Notices had been issued on Prasanna Pubudu Ratnayake.

The Court thanked the jury members for their presence and ordered to be present when informed.

The Attorney General's Department has filed a case against Arumugam Sri Scandarajah alias Peter for abduction and committing the murder of Sivaram Dharmaratnam on April 28, 2005 in Rajagiriya.

The AG department filed the case with four counts for conspiring to abduct Sivaram and murder him, with others unknown to the prosecution.

According to the charges, he had engaged in the conspiracy in Colombo, Bambalapitiya and Maharagama between January 01 and April 28 in 2005. According to the charges, Sivaram was murdered and his mobile phone and SIM card were looted by Scandarajah with the others unknown to the prosecution.

Twenty eight productions were included by the prosecution including a revolver, bullets, spent 9 mm bullet cases, two cameras, a cassette recorder, diary, purse, a pair of spectacles and a shirt and a trouser. The prosecution produced 31 witnesses.