• Suspects had failed to obtain police permission to organise the march

By  Lakmal Sooriyagoda

The Colombo Chief Magistrate yesterday issued warrants for the arrest of former parliamentarians Weerakumara Dissanayake, Piyasiri Wijenayake and Roger Seneviratne for not being present in Court in connection with a case filed against them by Cinnamon Garden Police. 

Three suspects were not present before Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court over an allegation that National Freedom Front (NFF) leader Wimal Weerawansa and five others provided leadership to a protest which blocks the main roads at Bauddhaloka Mawatha in 2016, causing disturbance to the people and the normal flow of traffic.
On February 6, 2016, the NFF staged a protest march against the visit of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein.

Six suspects including NFF leader and Colombo District MP Wimal Weerawansa, Jayantha Samaraweera, Weerakumara Dissanayake, Piyasiri Wijenayake, Roger Seneviratne, Mohammed Muzammil and Don Lusian are currently out on bail.  The seventh suspect Chaminda Jayalal is evading courts from the inception

The Cinnamon Gardens Police had informed Court that the suspects who organised the procession had failed to obtain prior permission from the police to organise the march. 

They further alleged that the organisers had also used loudspeakers without a valid licence. Police further submitted to Court that the suspects provided leadership to a protest which blocks the main road at Bauddhaloka Mawatha towards Havelock Town, causing disturbance to the people and the normal flow of traffic.
 

• On February 6, 2016, the NFF staged a protest march against the visit of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein