Bharatha killing:

Sixteen suspects re-remanded

Sarath MALALASEKERA

Sixteen suspects out of 20 who are alleged to have been involved in the shooting incident of Presidential Trade Union Advisor and former Colombo District Parliamentarian Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra were yesterday further remanded till March 13 by Colombo Additional Magistrate Prasanna Alwis.

Duminda Silva MP and his bodyguard were not present in court yesterday. Earlier, 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 10 suspects who are alleged to have been involved in the killing of former MP Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra, at an identification parade held by the Magistrate.

CID Chief Inspector Merril Ranga Lamahewa yesterday informed Court that they have completed investigations into the shooting incident at Mulleriyawa where former MP Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra was killed and that they forwarded 2,597-page 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.

The Magistrate allowed an application by President’s Counsel Hemantha Warnakulasooriya, who is watching interest of the aggrieved party, to release three copies of the judgments which had been handed over to Court by the President’s Counsel earlier.

Attorneys Ajith Pathirana, Anuja Premaratne, Bandara Ekanayake, Charitha Galhena, Kingsley Perera and several other Attorneys appeared for some of the suspects.

Further hearing was put off for March 13.