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Weliweriya shooting incident | Victims’ lawyers seek order to restrain suspects leaving country
View(s):Lawyers who represented the families of the Weliweriya shooting victims sought a restraining order from the Gampaha Magistrate Tikiri K. Jayatillake on Friday to prevent the Army personnel involved in the incident from leaving the country. Bar Association President Upul Jayasuriya who appeared on behalf of the families told the Magistrate that there were questions as to whether the Army Brigadier who had given orders to shoot was still in the country.
Lawyers representing the Rathupaswela residents in Weliweriya and controversial rubber glove manufacturing company leaving courts last week
He told court that it has come to light that it was Brigadier Deshapriya Gunawardena who had given orders to shoot .He said that those who followed this illegal order also acted in violation of the law. He said that the army had been sent into quell the protest without exhausting other means of dispersing crowds such as the use of water cannon and tear gas . Mr.Jayasuriya said it is important to find out how this situation arose.
The Magistrate said he did not reject the request made by the counsel for the families of the victims and asked the Attorney General’s Department to appoint a State Counsel to appear in court in connection with this case. The Magistrate said he would make a ruling on the request made on behalf of the families of the victim’s when the case is taken up on the next date.
He also directed that a copy of this order be immediately dispatched to the officers of the Colombo Crime Division (CCD). Police Assistant Superintendent Newman Wedasinghe who appeared on behalf of the CCD presented a report to Court on the progress of investigations made into the incident.
The Magisterial inquiry will resume tomorrow.
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