CA affirms life imprisonment for former Army Major for drug offence

By Lakmal Sooriyagoda  

The Court of Appeal has affirmed the life imprisonment  imposed by the Colombo High Court against a former Army Major convicted of  committing the offences of possession and trafficking of 5.9 kilograms  of heroin in 2006.  

After trial, accused Kamal Shantha Kariyawasam was found guilty of possession and trafficking of Heroin, and he was sentenced to  life imprisonment on both counts by Colombo High Court in a  judgement dated August 12, 2015. Subsequently, the accused filed this  appeal, challenging both the conviction and the sentence.  

Court of Appeal two-judge-bench comprising Justices Sampath  B. Abayakoon and P. Kumararatnam observed that the prosecution has  proved the case beyond reasonable doubt against the accused.  

The accused was arrested while transporting heroin in a  private bus at the Parayanakulam checkpoint in Medawachchiya. Murukkan  Police then OIC Upul Seneviratne had made arrangements for the arrest.  He has received a telephone call from a Captain of the Thalladi Army  Camp of a person travelling with a suspicious parcel, which may be a  concealed weapon. He had received another telephone call with the  information that the suspected person was in a private bus  travelling towards Colombo.