The appeal petitions, filed by five accused including former Defence Ministry Monitoring MP Duminda Silva, challenging the judgement of the Colombo High Court, was yesterday fixed for March 29 by the Supreme Court.
Five accused, including former Defence Ministry Monitoring MP Duminda Silva, who were sentenced to death by the Colombo High Court for committing the murder of four persons including former MP Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra, had filed appeal petitions in the Supreme Court challenging the judgement of the Colombo High Court.
When the matter came up before the three-judge-bench comprising Chief Justice Priyasath Dep, Justice Buwaneka Aluvihare and Justice Vijith Malalgoda, the appeals were fixed for argument on March 29.
On a previous occasion, Duminda Silva, the eleventh accused in the murder case, filed an acceleration petition in the Supreme Court requesting that the hearing on the appeal be accelerated on medical grounds. These appeals are to be heard before a five-judge-bench of the Supreme Court on the next date.
Through his appeal, Duminda Silva stated that he was seeking the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court to review and set aside their conviction and the death sentence imposed by the High Court on September 8, 2015. Five accused including former MP Duminda Silva were on September 8, 2015 sentenced to death by the Colombo High Court for committing the murder of four persons including former MP Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra on October 8, 2011.
However, the verdict was divided two to one with judges Pathmini N. Ranawaka and M.C.B.S. Moreis finding the five accused guilty of 10 charges including committing and conspiring to commit the murder of four people while Justice Shiran Gunaratne, the President of Colombo High Court Trial-at-Bar, found the 13 accused not guilty of all 17 charges.
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