37 accused in murder of MP Amarakeerthi granted bail

The Gampaha High Court’s trial-at-bar on Friday (July 28) granted bail to all 37 accused – including 32 suspects who were in remand custody – in the killing of former MP Amarakeerthi Athukorala.

When the case was taken up today, the judge bench delivered its decision on the bail request made by the defense attorneys.

According to Ada Derana correspondent, the accused were released on strict bail conditions and their foreign travels were barred on the orders of High Court Judges Sahan Yapa Bandara, Rashmi Singappuli and Ruwan Pathirana.

Thereby, the suspects were released on a cash bail of Rs. 100,000 and four surety bonds of Rs. 2 million each.

The Polonnaruwa District parliamentarian and his security officer, a police constable, were reported dead amidst the unrest in the Nittambuwa area during the nationwide incidents of violence on May 09, 2022.

Initially, a shooting incident was reported in the Nittambuwa that evening, following which a total of six injured people were rushed to the Wathupitiwala Base Hospital.

Hospital sources later confirmed that three of them had sustained gunshot wounds, whereas a 27-year-old who was in critical condition had later succumbed to injuries.

According to reports, the parliamentarian and his assistant had opened fire at an angry mob of protesters and critically injured two people while they were blocking his vehicle. The MP and his security officer were later found murdered while hiding inside a nearby building.

Footage secured from a nearby CCTV camera showed MP Amarakeerthi Athukorala fleeing the scene with his security officer, who was armed with a gun. Dozens of suspects were subsequently arrested on several occasions on suspicion of the MP’s murder.