Open warrant for Premalal Jayasekara, who fled the country after being accused of murder

The Supreme Court today issued an open warrant ordering the arrest and production before court of former State Minister Premalal Jayasekara, who was sentenced to death in connection with a murder that occurred during the 2015 presidential election period, and was later acquitted by the Court of Appeal. This order was announced when the relevant case was called today, and it was revealed that he had evaded court and gone abroad.

The Supreme Court, which ordered the issuance of this open warrant through the Director of the Criminal Investigation Department, has also ordered the Inspector General of Police to take all necessary steps to implement it expeditiously.

When the case was called today, Mr. Premalal Jayasekara did not appear before the court, and Deputy Solicitor General Janaka Bandara, appearing on behalf of the Attorney General, informed the court that he is currently abroad. However, the bench ordered the remand of the other two defendants who appeared before the court.

The background of this legal process dates back to the 2015 presidential election period. Premalal Jayasekara and two other defendants were sentenced to death by the Ratnapura High Court on charges of shooting and killing a person at a campaign rally held in Kahawatta for then-presidential candidate Maithripala Sirisena. However, after hearing an appeal filed against that verdict, the Court of Appeal ordered the acquittal of all three of them.

This critical situation arose today in relation to an appeal petition filed by the aggrieved party against the Court of Appeal's acquittal verdict. The Supreme Court, which concluded the hearing of the relevant petitions on September 04, had previously issued summons to all three defendants to appear before the court today.

These orders were issued by a three-member Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena, Achala Wengappuli, and Gihan Kulatunga.