UPDATED: Maj. General Janaka Perera murder: ex-LTTE carder convicted
September 5, 2014 01:22 pm
The Anuradhapura High Court today sentenced an ex-LTTE carder to 20-year rigorous imprisonment over the murder of 31 persons including Major General Janaka Perera in 2008.
Sanmuganathan Sudhaharan, an officer linked to the defeated LTTE suicide wing, was found guilty on two counts of conspiring and abetment to suicide bombing. The accused was sentenced to 10-year rigorous imprisonment, on each count.
After delivering the judgment, Judge Sunanda Kumara said in the open court that the accused likely would have to serve at least 40-year jail time in prison, if found guilty after a full trial.
On 22 August, when the case was taken for hearing, accused Sudhaharan had pleaded guilty to the case, in return, where the judged fixed judgment date on 5 September (today).
Hameer Umar, the second accused who pleaded not guilty of the charges in the case has been further remanded until 3 October.
Deputy Solicitor General Chethiya Gunasekara appeared on behalf of the attorney General’s Department. Senior Inspector Meryl Ranjan Lamahewa represented the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
Attorney-at-law A.K. Chandrakantha appeared for the second accused.
At least 28 people, including Perera and his wife, were killed in a blast while over 90 others were also injured, on 6 October, 2008. Perera was feared as a military officer by the Tamil militant group as he had thwarted many rebel attacks on government troops during the over three-decade civil war.
