Strict security precautions were taken to protect witnesses who were expected to identify the suspects involved in the killing of a British tourist on Christmas Eve during a brawl at a tourist resort in Tangalle.
The witnesses were covered from head to foot with only a slit for the eyes enabling them to identify the suspects.
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| The suspects being brought to court |
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| Families of those who had come for other cases seen in the court premises |
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| Victoria Alexandrovna, who was sexually attacked during the brawl appears at the Magistrate court. |
Sixteen witnesses were lined up on Thursday to identify the five suspects including the Tangalle Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman (UPFA) Sampath Vidanapathirana allegedly involved in the killing of 32-year-old Khuram Shaikh Zaman.
The identification parade was held before Tangalle Magistrate Eureka De Silva.
In one of the longest identification parades, lasting 11 hours, the suspects were identified by 13 of the witnesses, but Zaman’s partner, a 23-year old Russian national Victoria Alexandrovna who was sexually assaulted and injured during the incident and who was present at the identification parade failed to identify any of the suspects.
Court officials had asked others who had come to the Tangalles Magistrate Court to mingle among the suspects for the identification process that started at 9.20 a.m. and ended at 10.30 p.m. Women and children who had accompanied those attending courts for other cases were seen sleeping in the premises as their cases were not taken up.
The others identified were the PS Chairman’s private secretary Mohottige Saman, Nalagama Praveen Chaturanga, Saman Deshapriya and Obada Arachchige Lahiru Kelum. They were remanded until January 20.
The driver Weerakoon Piyadasa Ratnayake, a field officer of the National Housing Development Authority was remanded until January 9 and Magistrate Ms. de Silva said bail would be considered.
Meanwhile the Criminal Investigations Department forwarded a motion requesting that the Magisterial inquiry be held on January 5 as the Russian victim was due to return home for treatment on Friday.
The CID also requested a copy of the coroner’s report.
After the identification parade, suspects were taken to the prison buses from the back gates of the courts preventing journalists from covering their exit.
Lawyers Nalin Weerakoon, Dhammika Wedage and Dhammika Ratnayake represented the suspects.
Zaman, a Red Cross physical rehabilitation manager working in war-torn Gaza Strip, was brutally murdered while mediating a quarrel between locals, some of whom were heavily intoxicated. He died as a result of a deep stab wound.
Zaman’s body was flown to Britain on Wednesday in preparation for a family funeral. Meanwhile The British High Commission in a statement said Khuram’s brother, Nasir Shaikh, arrived in Sri Lanka to oversee the transport of his brother’s body and to seek information directly from the Sri Lankan authorities about the circumstances of the tragic attack.
“On the afternoon of January 4, accompanied by Acting British High Commissioner Robbie Bulloch, Nasir Shaikh met the Director of the CID to hear about progress in bringing those responsible for his brother’s murder to justice.
“The Director of the CID gave his personal assurance to Mr Shaikh that everything was being done to bring about a successful prosecution of those responsible,” the British High Commission in Sri Lanka said in the release.
“From the assurances I have received today I am confident that the Sri Lankan authorities have what they need to bring those responsible for the brutal murder of my brother, and the vicious attack on Victoria, to justice,” Mr Shaikh had commented following the meeting, the release said.
“This is a very distressing time but I would like to thank all those involved in the investigation of my brother’s murder and those who have helped with his repatriation. For the sake of my brother and the rest of our family I hope that the investigation can now be brought to a swift conclusion.” |
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