Death sentenced ex MP Duminda Silva released under special Presidential pardon

Former Parliamentarian Duminda Silva, who was serving death sentence over the assassination of former MP Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra has been released under a special Presidential pardon today, a senior official from Prisons Department said.

Prisons Department Media Spokesman Chandana Ekanayake told Times Online that a total of 94 inmates including ex Parliamentarian freed today under Presidential pardon marking Poson full moon Poya day.

Mr Silva was arrested in 2011 over the killing of former MP Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra following a clash between two parties.

In 2016, a Trial-at-bar High Court handed in death sentences for Duminda Silva and four of his associates. The Trial-at-bar High Court ruling was appealed at the Supreme Court. A five-judge bench of the Supreme Court presided over by the then Chief Justice Priyasath Dep upheld the conviction unanimously.

Mr Silva was appointed as monitoring MP of the Defence Ministry and was closely associated with the then Defence Ministry Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

Earlier this year, a group of government MPs handed in a petition seeking a Presidential pardon for the convicted ex MP.

Shortly after the announcement that Duminda Silva was released on a Presidential pardon the widow of Former MP Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra’. Ms Sumana Premachandra reacted.

Condemning ed the Government’s decision she posted a message on her FaceBook “The killer is free. The sun will not shine on a country that does not respect justice.”

She noted that a country where a sentence confirmed by two Court of Appeal judges and five Supreme Court judges has been created. She also said the decision taken is proof that in the same country there are different laws that are being implemented.

“Justice has been imprisoned and the murder has been released. The Sun will not shine on a country that does not respect justice. A punishment was imposed in a country there was law. But the offender has been released without justice in a country there is no law”, she said.

Condemning the release of former MP Duminda Silva who was convicted for murder, the Executive Committee of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) has posted a string of questions to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa regarding the pardon process.

BASL stressed that public to know whether the said pardon has been granted in accordance with the report of the trial Judges, the opinion of the Attorney General and the recommendation of the Minister of Justice. As such, the BASL has written to President requesting to make the public aware whether such report, opinion or recommendation do exist and if so whether they in fact recommend or do not recommend such pardon to Duminda Silva.

The main Opposition party- Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) has questioned the release of MP Duminda Silva under a presidential pardon and called for the withdrawal of the pardon. The full statement issued by the party can be accessed here.

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