Six accused in attack on Maithripala Sirisena’s office acquitted

28-Aug-2026

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Polonnaruwa High Court Judge Dulani Weerathunga ordered the acquittal and release of six accused who had been charged with unlawfully entering a campaign office of then presidential candidate Maithripala Sirisena in Welikanda during the presidential election, assaulting and injuring his supporters and attempting to kill them.

The Attorney General had filed seven charges each against the accused under Sections 140, 300, 315 and 314 of the Penal Code, alleging that they had carried out the attack on or around January 11, 2015, while being members of an unlawful assembly in the Welikanda area, which falls within the jurisdiction of the Polonnaruwa High Court.

When the case was taken up for the pronouncement of the verdict, the High Court Judge observed that the prosecution had failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt the charges levelled against the accused.

Accordingly, the court ordered that the accused be acquitted and released from the charges against them.

Those acquitted were P.A. Rukman Pradeep, M.S. Pradeep Manjula, H.M. Dhanapala, P.M. Asanka Nuwan, P.A. Chamara Asanka Premasiri and P.A. Vikum Prabath Premasiri.