SJB Beliatta co-organiser acquitted from court case over illegal firearms possession charge as police fail to establish it

• His lawyers argued that police fabricated charge
• Liyanapathirana was arrested in the early hours of October 10, 2010, as he entered his home carrying a bag containing the firearm and ammunition
• He was indicted for the possession of a T56 automatic firearm and 24 live ammunition

By Lakmal Sooriyagoda

The Tangalle High Court yesterday acquitted Ojith Liyanapathirana, the co-organiser for the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) in Beliatta, who had been indicted for the possession of a T56 automatic firearm and 24 live ammunition on or around October 10, 2010.

The prosecution’s case, led by Inspector Sarath Wasantha Kumara of the Tangalle Crime Investigation Division, alleged that Liyanapathirana was arrested in the early hours of October 10, 2010, as he entered his home carrying a bag containing the firearm and ammunition. However, Liyanapathirana denied these allegations, asserting that he was actually arrested on October 4, 2010, and claimed that the police had fabricated evidence by introducing the firearm and ammunition during his detention.

To support his defence, Liyanapathirana’s legal team presented witnesses and submitted a bail application filed in the High Court of Hambantota in 2010, which they argued corroborated his account of events.

After carefully considering the evidence from both the prosecution and the defence, High Court Judge Udesh Ranatunga of the Tangalle High Court ruled in favour of Liyanapathirana, stating that the prosecution had failed to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt.

Senior Counsel Darshana Kuruppu, along with attorneys Shiraz Usuph and Pradeep Rajapakshe, represented Liyanapathirana during the proceedings.