Case against Weerawansa and six others fixed for trial by the Chief Magistrate Court

Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court fixed for trial, a case filed against Wimal Weerawansa and six others for causing severe disruption to the traffic flow on the Bauddhaloka Mawatha and connecting roads while blocking them Additional Magistrate Chandima Liyanage fixed the case to be heard on May 30. The prosecution witnesses were directed to appear before Court on the next trial date. On February 6, 2016, the NFF staged a protest march against the visit of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein. Six suspects including NFF leader and former Minister Wimal Weerawansa, Jayantha Samaraweera, Weerakumara Dissanayake, Piyasiri Wijenayake, Roger Seneviratne, Mohammed Muzammil and Don Lusian had been named as the suspects in the case.  The seventh suspect Chaminda Jayalal was not present in Court. The Cinnamon Gardens Police had informed Court that the suspects who organized the procession had failed to obtain the prior permission from police to organise the march. They further alleged that the organizers had also used loudspeakers without a valid license. Police had further submitted to Court that the suspects provided leadership to a protest which blocked the main road at Bauddhaloka Mawatha towards Havelock Town, causing disturbance to the people and the normal flow of traffic.