Death sentence for SLPP R’pura District candidate and two others over 2015 killing

• Former MP Premalal Jayasekara sentenced to death over slaying of UNP supporter in 2015
• Former Kahawatta PS Chairman and ex-Sabaragamuwa PC member also sentenced to death
• Each ordered to pay Rs. 200,000 compensation to deceased next of kin and Rs. 100,000 to two others injured in incident

Ratnapura SLPP candidate and former MP Premalal Jayasekara and two others were sentenced to death yesterday by Ratnapura High Court Judge Rohan Jayasuriya, over the killing of one person and causing serious injuries to two others during the 2015 Presidential Election campaign at Kahawatte.

Former Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council member Nilantha Jayakody and former Kahawatta Pradeshiya Sabha chairman Vajira Darshana were also sentenced to death nearly four years after they were indicted by the Attorney General on nine counts, including shooting and committing the murder of a person at Kahawatta on 5 January 2015, and injuring two others.

The three men were also directed to pay Rs. 200,000 each as compensation to the next of kin of the deceased man and Rs. 100,000 each to the two injured men.

All three accused were present in court when the sentence was read out by the Judge yesterday.

The deceased man Dodangodage Susil Perera alias Shantha Dodangoda was a supporter of Maithripala Sirisena during the 2015 Presidential Election, and had been engaged in decorating an election stage when Jayasekera and his supporters shot at him and others who were in a group.

Two other persons, K. Karunadasa Weerasinghe and M. Ishan, were seriously injured in the shooting.