Tangalla Case: Prasanna's evidence

 

That terrible night at a Tangalla hotel ....
Sampath Vidanapathirana said .... "Pull the suddi ... pull the suddi"
      -- Prasanna Amarasingha gives evidence

Purchasing Officer Mr. Basil Prasanna Amarasingha (42) giving evidence at the Tangalla Khuram Shaikh murder case said that a certain person kept assaulting the British national's girl friend with a firebrand until its fire blew out and that after those blows she had collapsed when at that point the accused Chairman of the provincial council Sampath Vidanapathirana had shouted, "pull that suddi .... pull that suddi!" This evidence was given by him in the presence of Mrs. Rohini Walgama, Judge of Colombo High Court.

Mr. Gamage Basil Prasanna Amarasingha, Purchasing Officer of Otto Bayle Lanka establishment, Sirimavo Bandaranaike Mawatha, Colombo 14, resident at No. 146, Siri Dhamma Mawatha, Colombo 10 gave evidence under directions of Queen's Counsel, Senior Attorney-at-Law, Mr. Thusith Mudalige.

"I went on a


family trip on December 23, 2011. I was at that time serving at Otto Bayle. That day we set out to go to Kataragama. That night, I, my wife and son was staying at Nature Resort Hotel. We put up the night on on 23, 24 in that hotel and we were planning to go to Kataragama on 25th. We spent the 23rd there. On the 24th there were a lot of foreigners. There were only about 3 or 4 local families. We came to have tea at 4.30 on 24th evening. After that we went to the beach and after that we came back to the hotel. We saw that those at the hotel were engaged in decorations for 25th Christmas Day. It was when we came for tea that we saw that.There was another person like a Manageress there. We saw the Christmas tree being decorated. The hotel staff decorated the whole restaurant. We were told that there was to be a Christmas party on 24th evening and that there would be DJ music, dancing,together with a special dinner of buffet style.

I didn't join the party and at about 9.30 in the night we had our dinner. As for DJ music, the staff were preparing amenities required and decorating for the party. Several foreigners came. After dinner we retired to our room.

The distance between my room and the restaurant was only 20 feet. There was a room above that also. We were in the room below. My vehicle was parked towards the corner in the car park. We were right along in the room after dinner on the night of 24th .... came towards the restaurant twice. The second time I came to pick up my son. At that time nobody was dancing. I escorted my son saying that we'll go to bed late in the night. I woke up around 12 midnight. I heard the noise of firecrackers etcetera .... from there onwards I didn't come out. We awoke once again between 12.oo - 1.oo because of the noise of people scolding in terrible obscene words. Those obscene words I can't say in court. I called my wife also. She too said that she also is listening.

I put on a shirt and came out. After that my wife also came. I came towards the restaurant. It was near the pool. The pool was above my room. From my room I went towards the restaurant. I was wearing a pair of shorts .... and that was with a tee-shirt.

After hearing the noise I came out and went towards the restaurant. I stopped halfway. I saw a certain young man assaulting a white-skinned female near the pool. He was a short, dark person. There were others close to him. She was a distance of upto that door from this place. There was a light. She was being assaulted with hands and feet.

I stopped and was watching. I had seen that lady before that. When I took my son to the pool, she was swimming in the pool with a male foreigner. They helped in that party a lot. We had a big confidence about them. We even saw them in the morning. We smiled and they were very pleasant .... the two of them. Those people were beating her in a very beastly manner. She jumped into the pool. She had only her brassier and underwear. There were 2 or 3 other males near the pool. They had an empty whiskey bottle with them. That young man grabbed that whiskey bottle, struck it on a wall and struck a blow on that lady. She was fallen down in the pool. She was shrieking and it was from on top of the swimming pool that she began to yell out. It was the broken bottle that struck her face. She was holding her face. If necessary I can show it. That accused is in court.

Yes .... that person got into the pool and struck blows on the shoulder and face of that female. The others also were watching. After dealing those blows he said, "Look after this woman .... I'll look for the manager" and he went away. He went towards the restaurant. The others waited for some seconds and went away. This lady came out from the direction of the restaurant. I once again went to the garden behind the restaurant. The male foreigner had fallen face downwards on the ground.

He had fallen on the other side of the restaurant on an open space. There was grass there. He was wearing a black-coloured tee-shirt and a pair of slacks. The white lady was crying. She was embracing him and crying. She was shouting, "My life!" That former person once again started assaulting her on the stomach with hands and feet like a beast. Another person came. She took a firebrand and shouted. She shouted in her own mother tongue. There was a bonfire outside.

We saw the bonfire first of all when we were coming for dinner. Another person dealt her a blow with a firebrand that was kindling. She was beaten until the fire burnt out. She fell down. I couldn't watch it anymore. I went  back into the room. I was holding my head with my hands. When I was trying to open the door and come out, my wife didn't allow me to go. I was seated on the bed for a while and came again. The door of my room was open.

Even at that time the commotion was going on. I went to the room, stayed for about 7 minutes and then went towards the car park. From the room to the car park, the distance was about 50 - 60 metres.

The bulbs had been struck and they were broken. Tables and chairs were in disarray. Plates and dishes in the restaurant were broken. Fancy articles were on the ground and were being smashed. 5 or 6 individuals were engaged in this act. The person who was hitting with the bottle himself took a major hand in this chaos. He hit the electric bulbs with a big club.

I went to the car park because my vehicle came to my mind. I went very close to my vehicle and stood somewhere in the middle. A young boy in the restaurant said, "Budu mahattayo .... sudda iwarai" and said, "Let's go to to the hospital quickly". He was the person who served us. I said, "Let's go". I came to the room and took my purse and keys. My wife asked where I was going. I said that I was going out. I locked the door from outside and went towards the vehicle. About 5 minutes passed by. I saw a crowd breaking bulbs upstairs. I heard only the noise there. I tried to reverse the car, but there was a van and three wheeler in front. It was a Dolphin van which was parked there. The engine of the van was activated and the rear lights were on. I was standing and looking. I was looking in the direction from where malli came. 

That person who was assaulting came and toppled the three-wheeler; struck the other van also and damaged it. There were another 3 or 4 vehicles parked there. They came towards where I was with clubs to hit me or the van. I told them that I came on a hire .... I worshipped them and told them not to hit me. They then went away. The person in the van who was clad in a white sarong and shirt said, "Suddiwa edala ganing .... suddiwa edala ganing!"  The engine of the van was active then. It was when they were smashing the three-wheeler that they said so. Light were on in the hotel. That crowd got into the Dolphin and went away. But I couldn't take my vehicle because the three-wheeler was toppled.

After that I went into my room. In the morning I got the news that the male foreigner had died. When I went into the room, it was calm and quiet. I didn't inquire about the person who was so attacked. I felt a sense of disgust and couldn't fall asleep. In the morning I gave a statement. We had breakfast at Lagoon Paradise Hotel. It was a hotel in the vicinity. I inquired about the 2 people who were injured I was told that they were taken in a vehicle of which a glass was broken. We then went to Kataragama and returned to Colombo on the 26th. The CID took a statement from me after 5 or 6 days.

At the identification parade held in the presence of the Judge at Tangalla Magistrate court I identified 4 or 5 persons. Itold what I knew at the parade. There are 3 of them here in this court. No. 1, No. 3, No. 4; No. 1 Hiru Kelum .... he struck the white girl with a broken glass, assaulting the white man and breaking the glass .... I can remember him very well amidst that chaos. He was wearing a trouser and a tee-shirt .... was wearing a pair of sandals. No. 3, Sampath Vidanapathirana .... when I went to the lobby, he was there. He was talking to somebody .... wearing a white sarong and white shirt. It was he who said, "Pull the suddi". No. 4,Prageeth Chaturanga .... he was having a T. 56 gun. It was my son who showed it. He asked, "Is that a toy pistol that uncle is having in his hand?" He was keeping it in his hand and standing.

Judge: Who was it who said, "Pull the suddi?"
evidence: The 3rd defendant said Sampath Vidanapathirana. At that point I was near the motor vehicle.
Judge: Can you remember the person who assaulted the white-skinned lady with the firebrand?
evidence: That is a little difficult for me.
            At the identification I showed the people. I don't know whether I am right or wrong.

Lakbima newspaper report -- Nishani Herath Banneheka