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Court rules pardoning of Duminda Silva was unconstitutional

17 Jan, 2024

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The Supreme Court has ruled that the presidential pardon granted to murder convict Duminda Silva by former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was unconstitutional.

Duminda Silva had been convicted and sentenced to death over the murder of former MP Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra.

The Supreme Court delivered the ruling when the petitions filed by Premachandra’s family, including?Hirunika Premachandra, were taken up for hearing today.

The Commissioner General of Prisons has been ordered to take steps to impose the death sentence on Duminda Silva.

The Colombo High Court sentenced Duminda Silva to death on September 8, 2016 for the murder of Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra in 2011.

Premachandra and his bodyguards were murdered in October 2011 ahead of elections held at the time.

Duminda Silva was also injured in the incident and he sought treatment overseas but he was later accused of being involved in the killing.

Silva was convicted and sentenced to death over the murder but in June 2021 he was granted a presidential pardon. (Colombo Gazette)

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