Accused in Mawanella Buddha statue vandalism case served indictments

The Attorney General today (October 08) served indictments on the accused in the Mawanella Buddha statue vandalism case.

The case was taken up before a trial-at-bar chaired by High Court Judge Jagath Kahandagamage.

In the year leading up to the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks, a group of individuals had damaged several Buddha statues in Mawanella area. 

Multiple suspects were taken into custody as a result of the probes carried out by the Criminal Investigation Department, State Intelligence Service and Mawanella Police. Interrogations into these suspects also led to the seizure of 100kg of explosives in the Wanathawilluwa area.

In April this year, 21 indictments were filed in the Kegalle High Court against 16 suspects for conspiring to cause violence and thereby inciting religious ill-feeling and disharmony among communities by vandalizing Buddha statues in Mawanella area in December 2018.

The indictments had been filed under the provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).

Among the accused are Naufer Mawlawi, Ibrahim Mawlawi, Mohammed Sajid, Mohammed Sahid, Sadik Abdullah, Sainul Abdeen, Mohammed Milhan and 09 others.

When the case was taken up today, the state counsel told the judge bench that the 14th and 16th accused in the case are currently receiving treatment for COVID-19 infection.

Defence attorneys representing four of the accused appeared on behalf of their clients, however, no lawyer from Kegalle area have appeared in this case.

Further hearing of the case was scheduled for November 16.