Welikada Prison Massacre Indictment served and accused released on bail

By Farook Thajudeen

The three Special trial-at-bar judges appointed by the Chief Justice yesterday, released on bail the   former IP of Police Narcotic Bureau Neomal Rangajeewa and former Welikada Prison Superintendent Emil Ranjan Lamahewage on Rs. 100,000 cash with two sureties for Rs. 500,000. Their passports were impounded and they were restrained from foreign travel.

At the outset of the trial before the three-Bench High Court Judges Gihan Kulatunge (President) Manjula Thilakaratna and Pradeep Hettiarachchi, the accused were served with the indictments by the prosecution.

Deputy Solicitor General Dilan Ratnayake, appearing on behalf of the Attorney General at the trial, informed the Court that he will not object to granting bail to the accused on whatever conditions the Court may deem fit. Hence the Court released the two accused on bail.

The Attorney General (AG) had filed indictments against the accused, who appeared before court on notice, and another prison officer Indika Sampath, who is absconding at present for his involvement in the Welikada Prison riots.

During the trial Counsel Asith Siriwardena appeared for the first accused Neomal Rangajeewa, while President Counsel Anuja Premaratna with Senior Counsel Jagath Abeynayake appeared for the second accused Emil Ranjan Lamahewa Counsel Senaka Perera and Rexy Piyadasa watched in interest of the aggrieved parties. 

The two accused, along with another former jailor of the Magazine Prison Indika Sampath, who is absconding at present, are charged for the Magazine Prison massacre that took place in Magazine Prison on 9 and 10 November 2012, which claimed the lives of 27 prisoners.

It was alleged that some of the inmates were picked out from a list of names and were gunned down.