Petitions against Hemasiri, Pujith postponed until 25 July

Saturday, 13 July 2019 00:05 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Supreme Court yesterday decided to postpone the hearing of Fundamental Rights Petitions filed against former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando and IGP Pujith Jayasundara – who has been sent on compulsory leave – until 25 July.

The petitions were taken up today before a Seven-member Supreme Court Bench comprising Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya, Justices Buwaneka Aluvihare, Sisira de Abrew, Priyantha Jayawardena, Prasanna Jayawardena, LTB Dehideniya, and Murdu Fernando.

The court informed the defendants to file objections over the case on 18 July while also calling on the prosecution to submit counter objections, if any, on 23 July.

The petitions were filed by seven parties, including the Bar Association of Sri Lanka, Janak Sri Vidanage, a businessman in the tourism industry, and Saman Nandana Sirimanna from Wellampitiya, a father of two children who died in the attack on the St. Anthony’s Church in Kochchikade.

The petitioners in their petitions pointed out that the intelligence unit had already informed the IGP and the security authorities about the attack, and if they had informed the public the devastation could have been prevented.

They point out that the IGP and the Defence Secretary, by not acting upon the information, have committed an offence punishable under the Code of Criminal Procedure as well as the Penal Code. The Easter Sunday suicide bomb attacks by a Muslim extremist group on three churches in Colombo, Negombo, and Batticaloa, and three luxury hotels in Colombo and an inn in Dehiwala killed 259 people, including 47 foreign nationals, and injured 500 more. (Colombopage)