The Nuwara Eliya High Court ordered the acquittal of the accused who allegedly attacked the former Nuwara Eliya
Mayoress’s house, killed the secretary and damaged the house and car. High Court Judge Dharshika Wimalasiri said that the prosecution has failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt the charges against the accused.
The High Court Judge said that former Mayoress Naleen Thilaka Herath was present in her house when the crime was committed, but she had refused to give evidence in the case. The judge also said that the investigating officers failed to send the parts of the crime scene to the Government Analyst.
She said that the investigating officers also failed to send the fingerprints found in the car found at the place where the alleged crime took place to the Fingerprints Registrar. In 1996, on or around April 5, in Nuwara Eliya, the house of Naleen Thilaka Herath, who was Nuwara Eliya mayoress at that time, was attacked with a bomb thrown into the house and W.R.M. Gunawardhana, who was her secretary was killed.
The Attorney General had filed charges against these defendants before the Nuwara Eliya High Court in accordance with Sections 296/140/316 and 410 of the Penal Code. It was particularly noticeable that former Nuwara Eliya mayoress and attorney Naleen Thilaka Herath, who was named as the fourth witness, refraining from testifying in the case on the permission of the Attorney General.
The verdict was delivered 27 years after the incident.
Upali Ananda