Lankan MP to be tried for murder

Silva, who was protected by the previous government under former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, will be tried for the murder of Bharatha Lakshman Premachandran.

By Qadijah Irshad

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Published: Mon 29 Jun 2015, 8:57 PM

Last updated: Wed 8 Jul 2015, 2:59 PM

Colombo — The Sri Lankan Attorney General’s department directed the courts to appoint a special trial-at-bar to try Duminda Silva, an infamous parliamentarian, for the shootout and murder of a former presidential advisor.

Silva, who was protected by the previous government under former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, will be tried for the murder of Bharatha Lakshman Premachandran in a shootout on elections day in 2011.

Sri Lanka’s Chief Justice K. Sripavan this week appointed the special trial-at-bar which will comprise of three high court judges instead of one. The trial-at-bar proceeding, which is used chiefly in controversial and celebrated cases will try Silva and 12 others on 17 charges including the murder of Premachandran and four others.

Premachandra, a former legislator and an official of former president Rajapaksa’s staff, was killed on October 8, 2011 when he and Silva, together with their bodyguards shot each other over a row. Silva was also critically injured during the melee.


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