Pardoned Royal Park offender could be resourceful citizen, many parties made requests :PMD

President Maithripala Sirisena recently pardoned Anthony Jayamaha – a murder convict in the Royal Park murder case, on the request of many parties and also in the belief that he was  “educated” and could be a resourceful citizen.

Issuing a statement, the President's Media Division (PMD) explained that he had granted presidential pardon after studying similar decisions taken in other countries.

Jayamaha, 34, was serving a death row before being released last week, for murdering 19-year-old Swedish national Yvonne Johnson, at the Royal Park housing complex in Rajagiriya in 2005.

The accused had been 19 years old at the time of the incident.

“This incident had not taken place with the intention of committing murder but due to sudden rage and impulsiveness,” the statement read.

The move has drawn criticism from several factions including the family of the victim.

The statement claimed  that religious leaders, former Supreme Court judges, civil rights activists, and youth organisations had written to the President seeking to grant presidential pardon.

“Ven Athuraliye Rathana Thero had intervened and met with the parents and relatives of the youth to grant him presidential pardon,” it said.

Further, the statement claimed that Rathana Thero had written to the President seeking to pardon the convict by showing compassion, since the incident had taken place as a result of a “love affair”.

The statement claimed  that former Supreme Court judge Rohini Marasinghe had sought to release the youth by considering his educational qualifications.

She had pointed out that Jayamaha had obtained his degree in economics and finance at a UK university while in prison, and is currently reading for his doctorate at the Open University of Sri Lanka, the statement added.

In addition, the statement said that Ven Baddegama Samitha Thero had observed that the youth had been showing signs of becoming an educated and well-behaved individual in the future.

The PMD said that Southern Province Bishop Raymond Wickramasinghe had told the President he would welcome any move to pardon an intelligent and rehabilitated youth.

The statement added that the President also took into considerations made by an expert panel appointed by the Justice Ministry in this regard.