The accused in the case for unlawful possession of an elephant calf named ‘Sakura’ valued at Rs.6.9 million were yesterday sentenced to 5 years rigorous imprisonment by the Colombo High Court. In addition to the sentence, the court also imposed a fine of Rs.20,000 and Rs.10,000 on each of the charges.
Accordingly, each accused were ordered to pay a fine of Rs.70,000.
Delivering the verdict following a lengthy trial, Colombo High Court Judge Damith Thotawatta maintained that the sentences will be imposed considering the official positions held by the accused as government employees.
The High Court judge sentenced the first accused and the third accused to five years with one year rigorous imprisonment for each charge, and the second accused to 3 years with one year rigorous imprisonment for each charge, and the High Court judge also ordered that the five years of imprisonment should be served concurrently.
The Colombo High Court Judge further ordered that the prescribed fines can be paid at any time during the prison term. However, The Colombo High Court Judge ordered that if the accused was unable to pay the fines, they should be sentenced for another 3 years of lenient imprisonment following their rigorous imprisonment served.
The Attorney General had filed indictments against three accused Chandrarathna Bandara Yatawara,Wildlife Officers Upali Padmasiri and Priyanka Sanjeewani under 25 counts including possession of an elephant calf without a license, conspiracy to tender false documents and registration of the concerned elephant calf by producing forged documents. The charges were filed for violating the provisions of Fauna and Flora Ordinance and Public Property Act.
The Attorney General maintained that due to the fact that the elephant calf does not have a valid license, the elephant calf falls under the category of Public Property. Thus, the charges have been filed under Public Property Act for the possession of an elephant calf stolen from the forest.
In 2019, the Attorney General assigned this case under eighteen charges, including, between November 6, 2008 and May 18, 2015, in violation of the provisions of the Forest Animals and Vegetation Ordinance Act, by misleading the director of the department, he prepared and settled a wild elephant in a den.
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