Mulleriyawa shooting: 5 suspects granted bail

Court granted bail to five suspects, who are alleged to be involved in the Mulleriyawa shooting in which former presidential adviser Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra and four others were killed.

Colombo High Court Judge Lalith Jayasuriya while granting bail also restrained the suspects MSD Officer R. Gamini who was Mr. Premachandra’s bodyguard and four supporters of Duminda Silva -- Prabath Hettiarachchi, Lanka Rasanjana, Malaka Sanjeewa and Tharindu Asanka from leaving the country. The Judge having considered the submissions made by the counsel for the suspects observed that

Five suspects were granted bail. They were asked not to leave the country. According to the Bail Act, suspects cannot be held in remand for more than twelve months

according to the provisions of the Bail Act a suspect could not be kept in remand for more than twelve months. Therefore he said he was releasing the suspects on bail as they had been in remand for more than twelve months.

He postponed for next year the matter for bail of Duminda Silva’s official bodyguard Anura Thushara De Mel, and his supporters Rohana Marasinghe, Nagoda Vithanage Shavinda, Chanda Jagath Kumara and Suranga Premalal.

The suspects’ counsel filed the bail applications in the High Court because the Magistrate does not have jurisdiction to grant bail. State Counsel Disna Warnakula appeared for the At-

According to the provisions of the Bail Act a suspect could not be kept in remand for more than twelve months. Therefore he was releasing the five suspects on bail

torney General. PC Anil Silva, Jagath Abeynayake and several other lawyers appeared for the suspects.