Court Allows Key Witness to Be Recalled in Eknaligoda Disappearance Trial

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Colombo Permanent Trial-at-Bar granted permission to recall the fourth prosecution witness in the case relating to the alleged abduction and disappearance of journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda.

The order was issued when the case was taken up before the Permanent Trial-at-Bar, comprising President Judge Nayana Senaviratne and Judges Nalin Hewawasam and Lakmali Hewawasam, sitting at the Permanent Trial-at-Bar established at 121/1 Wijerama Mawatha, Colombo 7.

At the previous hearing, Deputy Solicitor General Wasantha Perera informed court that it was necessary for the prosecution to obtain further testimony from the fourth witness in the case.

The defence raised objections to the request. However, after considering those objections, the three-judge bench unanimously ruled in favour of the prosecution and granted permission to recall the fourth witness, Sumathipala Suresh Kumara, also known as "Murali", to testify once again.

The bench further announced that a date for recording the witness's evidence would be fixed after the court vacation scheduled for August.

The case has been fixed for further evidence on August 7.

The Attorney General filed indictments under the Penal Code against the accused over several charges, including the alleged abduction of journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda on or around January 25, 2010, in the areas of Giritale, Habarana and Kottawa, with the intention of secretly detaining him.

The accused in the case are former Giritale Army Camp Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Shammi Kumararatne and nine military intelligence personnel identified as W.D. Upasena alias Suresh, R.M.P.K. Rajapaksha alias Nadan, S.M. Ravindra Rupasena alias Ranji, Chaminda Kumara Aberathna, Kanishka Gunaratne, Aiyasamy Balasubramaniam, Tharanga Prasad Gamage and T.E.R. Peiris.