The two separate appeals filed by the Attorney General challenging the order of the Colombo High Court Trial-at-Bar bench to acquit former IGP Pujith Jayasundara and former Defense Secretary Hemasiri Fernando from the charges leveled against them in connection with the Easter Sunday attack cases have been fixed for argument by the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court’s five-judge bench, headed by Justice Preethi Padman Surasena, fixed the appeal petitions for argument on July 4.
On February 18, 2022, the Colombo High Court Trial-at-Bar ordered to acquit two accused of the charges on the basis that the prosecution’s evidence had failed to establish the commission of the offenses against them.
Colombo Trial-at- A bar bench comprising High Court Judges Namal Balalle (President), Adithya Patabendige, and Mohamed Ishadeen had ordered to acquit two former top officials from two separate cases without calling defense evidence.
The Attorney General had filed indictments consisting of 855 charges against former IGP Pujith Jayasundara and former Defense Secretary Hemasiri Fernando for their failure and illegal omission to prevent the terrorist attacks between April 7, 2019 and April 21, 2019.
