Supreme Court Issues Open Warrant Premalal Jayasekara

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Supreme Court today (21) issued an open warrant for the arrest of former Minister Premalal Jayasekara, who was previously sentenced to death after being convicted in connection with the fatal shooting of a man and is currently believed to be overseas.

The Supreme Court also ordered that former Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council member Nilantha Jayasinghe and former Kahawatta Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman Vajira Darshana de Silva, who had also been sentenced to death in relation to the same incident, be remanded in custody.

The case relates to a shooting attack on a stage being prepared for a United National Party rally in support of Maithripala Sirisena's 2015 presidential election campaign. The attack resulted in the death of Shantha Dodangoda, leading to the arrest of former Minister Premalal Jayasekara and former Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council member Nilantha Jayasinghe.

Following the trial before the Ratnapura High Court, judgment was delivered on July 31, 2020, sentencing Premalal Jayasekara and two other accused to death.

The defendants subsequently filed an appeal against the verdict, and on March 31, 2022, the Court of Appeal acquitted and released them from the sentence.

Challenging that decision, the wife of the deceased, Shantha Dodangoda, filed an appeal before the Supreme Court.

The appeal was taken up today before a Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena and Justices Achala Wengappuli and Gihan Kulatunga.

At the hearing, former Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council member Nilantha Jayasinghe and former Kahawatta Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman Vajira Darshana de Silva appeared before court in compliance with notices previously issued by the Supreme Court on September 4.

However, former Minister Premalal Jayasekara, the third respondent, failed to appear before the open court.

After considering the facts presented, the Supreme Court bench issued an open warrant for the arrest of Premalal Jayasekara and ordered that he be produced before court. The bench also directed that the two other respondents be remanded in custody pending further proceedings.