The Colombo Chief Magistrate yesterday fixed for September 17, a case filed against National Freedom Front (NFF) Leader Wimal Weerawansa and six other party activists for allegedly providing leadership to a protest which blocked the main roads at Bauddhaloka Mawatha, causing disturbance to the people and the normal flow of traffic.
On February 6, 2016, the NFF staged a protest march against the visit of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein.
However, the seventh accused Lalith Chaminda Jayalal was not present in court. Chief Magistrate Ranga Dissanayake ordered the Cinnamon Garden Police to submit a report in court on the next date explaining the prosecution’s version whether it intends to proceed with the case in absentia of the seventh accused.
Six suspects including NFF leader and Colombo District MP Wimal Weerawansa, Jayantha Samaraweera, Weerakumara Dissanayake, Piyasiri Wijenayake, Roger Seneviratne, Mohammed Muzammil and Don Lucian are currently out on bail. The seventh suspect Chaminda Jayalal was not present in court yesterday and the court was informed that the police were yet to trace his whereabouts.
Meanwhile, the Chief Magistrate observed the necessity of expediting the case since the matter was a minor charge.
The Cinnamon Gardens Police had informed the court that the suspects, who organised the procession, had failed to obtain prior permission from police to organise the march. They further alleged that the organisers had also used loudspeakers without a valid license. Police further submitted to the court that the suspects provided leadership to a protest which blocked the main road at Bauddhaloka Mawatha towards Havelock Town, causing disturbance to the people and the normal flow of traffic.
President’s Counsel Jayantha Weerasinghe with counsel Kapila Gamage appeared for the suspects.
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