305 Army deserters jailed

Colombo: The Army’s Courts Martial, following the imposition of punishment on 106 convicted Army deserters have handed them over to Welikada Prisons Headquarters for imprisonment.

Another of 199 convicted Army deserters are also scheduled to be handed for imprisonment on Wednesday (3), upon completion of their legal proceedings, according to the Army Directorate of Legal Services. Those deserters have been arrested by Military Police and respective local Police stations in the most recent past, upon their failure to honour General Amnesty periods, granted to them beginning last May.

However, a total of 4,870 Army deserters made use of the granted grace period and surrendered themselves to the Army between May 02-31, 2008.

Similarly, some 2,661 more deserters have responded positively to the amnesty until 13th June 2008.

Those convicts, depending on the duration of their absence are accordingly sentenced to imprisonment between three months to one year, in accordance with respective rulings determined, based on the periods of desertion.

Several hundred more deserters are scheduled to be tried by Courts Martial in the next few weeks.