Bharatha murder trial: witness describes events

A witness who gave evidence before Colombo Additional Magistrate Priyantha Liyanage yesterday once again described the ordeal he underwent at Walpola Junction, Mulleriyawa on local government election day during the shooting incident that took place there.

The witness Hashan Sasiranga Amaradeva, cross examined by the suspects’ Counsel Hemantha Warnakulasuriya PC, Anil Silva PC, Anuja Premaratne and Naveen Weerakoon, repeated the evidence given by him earlier before court.

Concluding his evidence the witness said that at the time of the incident he and the victims, including President’s advisor Bharatha Lakshman Premachancra, had approached Walpola Junction in defender vehicles.

They had been blocked by the motorcade of MP Duminda Silva which had been coming from the opposite direction. Mr Silva had got out of his vehicle and come up to Mr Premachandra and slapped him.

The witness said that there were some shots fired at that time and the witness held Mr Premachandra and went up to their defender and managed to crawl under it and get into it through the rear door

Then he had found that Mr Premachamdra was missing and looked for him and found him injured and fallen near the defender.

Witness said he took Mr Premachandra to hospital and admitted him.

On conclusion of the cross examination, the next witness Madushani Pathirana, the wife of Kotikawatte Mulleriyawa Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman Prasanna Solanga Arachchi, was called to the witness box to lead the evidence by the prosecution.

However, Counsel for the suspects objected to the statement made to the CID by witness Madushani Pathirana.

Counsel said the statement made by the witness to the Police had contained inadmissible statements which were irrelevant to the subject matter. They said it could not be led as evidence at the non-summary trial.

Senior State Counsel Thushita Mudalige appearing with Dilan Ratnayake objected, contended that the hearing of the evidence at this stage was to ascertain whether the statement made to CID was correct.

He said the magistrate would not be prejudiced by the the evidence and it could be heard as evidence.

Defence Counsel said that  even though it would not prejudice the magistrate, it would be considered as evidence at the High Court trial if the witness was absent.

However the magistrate recorded the submissions of the parties and made no order on that. The hearing was postponed for September 17.

The suspects,  Duminda Silva’s official bodyguard Anura Thushar de Mel, Chandana Jagath Kumara, Chaminda Ravi Jayanath, Lanka Rasanjana, Malaka Sameera,Vidanagamage Amila, Sarath Bandara, Suranga Premalal, Saman Kumara Abeysinghe, Janaka Bandara Galaboda (Absconding) Duminda Silva, Rohana Marasinghe and  Nagoda Liyanarachchige Chaminda are  charged with committing murder and inflicting gunshot injuries while being members of an unlawful assembly

They are alleged to have killed and inflicted injuries and committed the murder of Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra, Damitha Dharshana Jayathilaka, Jailabdeen Mohamed Azmy and Manimel Kumaraswamy and infliclicting gunshot injuries on Bharatha Lackshman’s bodyguard Rajapurage Gamini at Walpola Junction in 2011 during the local government election for the Kotikawatte Mulleriyawa Pradeshiya Sabha. (T. Farook Thajudeen)