AG forgoes filing charges against six military personnel in Upali Tennakoon assault case

• Charges cannot be filed due to lack of evidence, CID tells Court 
• AG files indictments against two officers 
• Others given notice to appear before Court on 23 Aug. 

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) yesterday informed the Gampaha Magistrate Court that the Attorney General will not be filing charges against six of the eight military personnel implicated in the assault on former Rivira Editor Upali Tennakoon. 

The Attorney General has filed indictments against two officers attached to the Tripoli Military Intelligence Platoon, over the assault of newspaper editor Upali Tennakoon and his wife in 2009.

Charges against the suspects have been filed under Section 317 of the Penal Code at the Gampaha High Court for “voluntarily causing grievous hurt” during the incident.

The CID said the Attorney General has informed them of that there was insufficient evidence to charge the other six military personnel. Therefore charges will only be filed against the accused that were identified as Ananda Udalagama and Lalith Rajapaksa, who served as a warrant officer and an intelligence officer in the intelligence platoon, respectively. 

The CID had requested the six suspects to be summoned to Court, so they could be released from the court case. The Magistrate Court therefore issued notice to the six suspects to be present in Court on 23 August.