Bharatha Lakshman killing:

Suspects further remanded

Sarath MALALASEKERA

Sixteen suspects out of twenty who are alleged to have been involved in the shooting incident relating to Presidential Trade Union Advisor and former Colombo District Parliamentarian Baratha Lakshman Premachandra were yesterday further remanded till February 14, by Colombo Additional Magistrate Prasanna Alwis. Duminda Silva MP and his bodyguard were not present in court yesterday.

Earlier the court granted bail for two other suspects who are alleged to have been involved in the shooting incident. On the last hearing date, nine prosecution witnesses identified ten suspects alleged to have been involved in the killing of former MP, at an identification parade held by the magistrate.

At the outset, CID ASP Shani Abeysekera informed court that they have completed the investigations into the shooting incident at Mulleriya where MP Baratha Luckshman Premachnadra was killed and forwarded the dossier of the investigations to the Attorney General to obtain advice whether to file two separate cases or to file one case against the suspects in connection with the shooting incident.

The special CID team deployed by the CID DIG earlier had recovered two T 56 weapons, 12 pistols and two revolvers and questioned 37 persons including several security personnel who were present at the time of the incident. Attorneys Ajith Pathirana, Anuja Premaratne, Kingsley Perera and several other attorneys appeared for some of the suspects. Further hearing was put off for February 14.