• Court rejects objections raised by former President Maithripala Sirisena

By Lakmal Sooriyagoda 

The Negombo District Court yesterday ordered to lay by the cases filed against President Ranil Wickremesinghe by the next of kin of those who have died and those who were injured during the suicide bomb blast that took place at St. Sebastian’s Catholic Church in Katuwapitiya, Negombo. 

 However, the court held that the decision to lay by the cases against President Wickremesinghe would only operate for the period he holds the post of Presidency.
Negombo Additional District Judge Nuwan Tharaka Heenatigala observed that the second defendant Ranil Wickremesinghe as the President of the country is entitled to immunity in terms of Article 35(1) of the constitution.
Meanwhile, the Court rejected the objections raised by former President Maithripala Sirisena and decided to proceed with the cases against him and other defendants including former Defence Ministry Secretary Hemasiri Fernando, former IGP Pujith Jayasundara and former Chief of State Intelligence Service Nilantha Jayawardena.
The next of kin of those who have died and those who were injured during the suicide bomb blast that took place at St. Sebastian’s Catholic Church in Katuwapitiya had filed several lawsuits before Negombo District Court claiming compensation from former President Maithripala Sirisena, then Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, former Defence Ministry Secretary Hemasiri Fernando, former IGP  Pujith Jayasundara and former Chief of State Intelligence Service Nilantha Jayawardena.

All these actions have been instituted claiming damages based on the negligence of the first to sixth Defendants named in the said actions.

   Senior Counsel Varuna Senadhira with Indika Abeykoon, Dilum Fernando, Nadeesha Perera, Ann Seneviratne instructed by Dilum Fernando appeared for Plaintiff.