Verdict Against Ex-IGP Pujith Set for July 31

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Colombo Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar today ordered that the verdict in the case filed against former Inspector General of Police Pujith Jayasundara be delivered on July 31.

The case has been filed under charges including criminal negligence for failing to act to prevent the Easter Sunday terror attacks despite having received prior intelligence warnings.

The trial was heard before a three-judge bench comprising Priyantha Liyanage, Viraj Weerasuriya, and Thilakarathne Bandara.

Separate cases had been filed by the Attorney General against former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando and former IGP Pujith Jayasundara over the same incident.

Following the hearing of prosecution evidence, the Colombo High Court Trial-at-Bar, at that time, acquitted the accused on February 18, 2022, without calling for their defence.

Subsequently, the Attorney General appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that the decision was contrary to law and seeking to have it set aside.

The Supreme Court later ruled that the High Court had erred in law by acquitting the accused without calling for their defence, emphasizing that such a step was legally required.

Accordingly, the case was ordered to be retried, leading to the current proceedings.

Concluding the hearing of evidence against former IGP Pujith Jayasundara today, the Trial-at-Bar bench fixed July 31 for the delivery of the verdict. Meanwhile, further hearings in the case against former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando were postponed until Monday at 3:00 p.m.