Accused Challenge Court Decision to Rehear Witness In Eknaligoda Case

COLOMBO (News 1st); A fresh legal development has emerged in the case concerning the disappearance of journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda, with the accused filing a petition before the Supreme Court challenging a decision to allow a key witness to retake his testimony.

The matter was raised today before the Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar in Colombo, where defence lawyers informed the three-judge bench that a petition had been filed before the Supreme Court against the decision to permit the fourth witness in the case to testify again.

Accordingly, defence counsel argued that it would not be possible at this stage to record further testimony from the fourth witness, Sumathipala Suresh Kumar, also known as "Murali".

The Trial-at-Bar subsequently informed that it would announce its decision on September 4 regarding whether the Supreme Court application would be accepted and how proceedings relating to the remaining witnesses should proceed.

The fourth witness, Sumathipala Suresh Kumar alias Murali, had previously requested permission to give evidence again after claiming that his earlier testimony before the Trial-at-Bar had been given under pressure allegedly exerted by the accused.

After considering the circumstances, the court granted permission on the previous hearing date for the witness to provide fresh testimony.