The case filed against 25 accused including Nawfer Moulavi in connection with Easter Sunday terror attacks that took place on April 21, 2019, was postponed for tomorrow (09) by the Colombo High Court Trial-at-Bar.
The case was yesterday postponed due to the absence of Colombo High Court Judge Navaratne Marasinghe and the case will be taken up again tomorrow for further reading out of the charges to the accused.
The case was taken up before the Colombo High Court Trial-at-Bar bench comprising Colombo High Court Judges Damith Thotawatte and Amal Ranaraja.
During the course of the case, the court premises were heavily guarded by the Police and the STF and all the accused were brought to the Court amid tight security.
The indictments have been filed in connection with seven attacks – at Kochchikade St. Anthony’s Shrine, Katuwapitiya St. Sebastian’s Church, The Kingsbury Hotel, Shangri-La Colombo, Cinnamon Grand, Batticaloa Zion Church and Dehiwala Tropical Inn against 25 accused.
The Attorney General filed indictments against Mohammed Ibrahim Mohammed Nawfar alias Naufar Moulavi, Mohammed Saribu Adam Lebbe (Abu Hadik), Hayathu Mohammed Milhan (Abu Zillah), Mohammed Ibrahim Sadiq Abdullah (Abu Umar), Mohammed Ebrahim Abdul Haq (Abu Fala) , Mohammad Anwar Mohammad Riskan (Abu Tariq), Mohammad Mansoor Mohammad Sanasdeen (Abu Misan), Abdul Manaf Mohammad Piridavus, Mohammad Ramish Mohammad Zarik, Abdul Latif Mohammad Safi (Safi Moulavi / Abu Furqan), Husseinul Rizvi Mohammad Kahir Samir, Mohammad Zawheer Mohammad Hassan (Abu Dawood), Mohammad Iftikhar Mohammad Insaf (Abu Mohammad), Rashid Mohamed Ibrahim, Mohammed Hanifa Zainul Abdin (Abu Hina), Mohamed Mustafa Mohamed Haris (Abu Nanjiar), Yassin Bawa Abdul Rauf, Rasik Raza Hussain, Kachchi Mohamed Jasmine, Zainul Abdeen Mohamed Jaseen, Mohamed Mustafa Mohamed Rizwan, Meera Saheed Mohamed Nafli (Abu Sana), Mohamed Amin Ayantullah, Mohamed Ansar Deen Hilmi and Mohamed Akram in the High Court.
On a previous occasion, the Court was informed that the 17th accused in the case Yassin Bawa Abdul Rauf had passed away on February 5 while detained at the Magazine prison due to sudden heart failure.
The indictments were filed against accused under the Prevention of Terrorism Act including charges of conspiracy, preparation, aiding and abetting, collection of explosives and weapons, murder and attempted murder.
Dilshan Tharaka