Magistrate wants non-stop hearings

By Ishara Ratnakara

Colombo Additional Magistrate Thilina Gamage yesterday ordered continuous hearings in the case related to the killing of ex-Jaffna District MP Nadarajah Raviraj.
Police constable Wijewickrema Manamperige Sampath Preethi Viraj, who has been State witness after charges against him were waived by the Attorney General, was cross-examined by lawyers for the prosecution yesterday.

Viraj had earlier made three contradictory statements to the CID on how the murder of the former MP had taken place and those involved in the crime.

He said under cross-examination that he had on earlier occasions failed to give an accurate account of what he knew about the crime because he feared for his life. Raviraj and his security guard were killed at Matha Road in Narahenpita on 10 November 2006. Six suspects were arrested in a non-summary case which was called for hearing yesterday.
The accused in the case namely Pradeep Chaminda, Gamini Seneviratne, Prasad Hettiarachchi and Sampath Munasinghe were produced in Court yesterday. Two other suspects identified as Vivekanandan and Tusen have gone underground with Police unable to slap the Court’s arrest warrants on them.
Two other suspects , Aruna Shantha and Nalaka Mathangaweera, were released under advice of the AG.
Further hearing was put off for 29 January.

BBC NEWS | South Asia | Sri Lankan MP killed in Colombo