• AG orders acquittal due to lack of evidence

The Police Department is currently reviewing the files of two cases related to the high-profile murder of former Editor of The Sunday Leader Lasantha Wickrematunge following the Attorney General’s (AG) Department’s decision last week, according to Police Media Spokesperson SSP Buddhika Manatunga.

He confirmed that the two individuals ordered to be released had been arrested in connection with the abduction of Wickrematunge’s driver and the disappearance of his field notebook.

“We are currently studying the files and the decision issued by the AG’s Department,” he stated, adding that the decision would be presented to the court on the next scheduled date.

When asked if the Attorney General’s decision could be challenged, the Spokesperson stated: “We have discussed the possibility of challenging the order, but we need to wait for the official reports. Based on our current understanding, it appears that we will not be able to challenge it.” 

He went on to state that the investigations were ongoing and that these investigations had not produced a proper suspect yet in respect of Wickrematunge’s murder.

The AG’s Department clarified that the case involving the murder of journalist Wickrematunge dates back to 2015, when his driver, not an eyewitness, gave a statement to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). 

This led to further investigations, including a complaint about an alleged kidnapping in 2009, which resulted in legal proceedings at the Mount Lavinia Magistrate’s Court.

Premananda Udalagama, a key suspect, was released due to flaws in the identification process and insufficient evidence. 

Additionally, two individuals, Hettiarachchige Don Tissasiri Sugathapala and Vitharana Arachichige Sirimevan Prasanna Nanayakkara, who were arrested for allegedly misplacing a document related to Wickrematunge’s case, were also acquitted due to a lack of evidence.

The Attorney General’s Department recently issued a statement explaining that the individuals released were not the same as those originally arrested in connection with the murder, clarifying the legal circumstances surrounding the case.

AG Parinda Ranasinghe, speaking to The Sunday Morning, stressed: “Investigations regarding the murder of Wickrematunge have not been completed. These persons who were asked to be discharged were alleged to have been involved in the kidnapping of his driver about eight months after. It had no connection to the murder of Wickrematunge. He was Wickrematunge’s driver and that is about the only connection there. It was an isolated incident and that is why we decided on the matter.”