The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka has ordered the recall of the defence in the case against former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando and former IGP Pujith Jayasundara related to the 2019 Easter Sunday Attacks.
The order was issued to the Colombo Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar today following the Attorney General’s Department’s appeal against the court’s acquittal of the duo without hearing their defence.
Fernand and Jayasundara are accused of failing to prevent the Easter attacks despite having prior intelligence information.
After conducting a long hearing on the appeals presented by the Attorney General, a five-member Supreme Court bench led by Preethi Padman Surasena reached a decision to recall the defence.
The Attorney General had previously filed a case against the former Defense Secretary Hemasiri Fernando and the former IGP Pujith Jayasundara before a three-judge bench of the Colombo Permanent High Court.
However, the Colombo Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar that tried the cases had ruled to acquit both the defendants without calling the evidence of the defence.
The Attorney General had submitted an appeal to the Supreme Court, claiming that the decision of the Colombo Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar was against the law and that it should be annulled.
Taking into consideration the appeal, the Supreme Court stated that the Colombo Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar should have summoned the defendant during the trial and ordered the recall of the defence in the case. (Newswire)
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