Terrorist convicted for attempted assassination of former President

The Colombo High Court yesterday sentenced a rebel cadre of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam (LTTE) who pleaded guilty for delivering a bomb to assassinate Sri Lanka’s former President Chandrika Kumaratunga to 30 years rigorous imprisonment.

The accused pleaded not guilty earlier but changed his plea to guilty later. Accordingly, he pleaded guilty for 28 counts.

Colombo High Court Judge W.T.M.P.D. Waraweva delivered the sentence yesterday against the accused Sathyavel Ilangeshwaram who was 19 years old at the time of the bombing.

Ilangeshwaram and six others including a woman were accused on counts related to conspiring to assassinate the former President. Kumaranatunga who lost an eye due to the bomb attack that targeted her at the final propaganda rally of the 1999 presidential election.

Twenty six were killed and 80 were injured in the incident. The case was being heard since 2001.  — ColomboPage