147th Day of the Main Easter Attack Trial – HC (TAB) 2972/21
Date: 26th February 2026|
Venue: Special Trial-at-Bar, Colombo 07
The case was taken up before the Trial-at-Bar with all accused present, except for the 17th accused.
P.W. 1773, retired SSP Ajith Kavinda Piyasekara, was present before the court. The court was informed that the 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 5th accused had concluded their cross-examination of P.W. 1773. It was further informed that the 9th, 11th, 14th, and 25th accused intended to cross-examine P.W. 1773 today. Accordingly, the 9th accused commenced the cross-examination of P.W. 1773.
During the cross-examination, it was suggested that when the 4th accused had indicated a need to make a statement to P.W. 1773, he should have advised him, in terms of Section 16(1) of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act, No. 48 of. 1979, that such a statement could be used as evidence against him. It was further suggested that P.W. 1773 had brought the 4th accused to his office on 20th September 2026 not with the consent of the 4th accused, but solely due to the insistence and requirement of P.W. 1773, and that the 4th accused had no intention or necessity to make any confession. It was also suggested that the 4th accused was suffering from a toothache at the time and therefore it would have been impossible for him to give such a lengthy statement under those circumstances.
It was further suggested that the statement allegedly given by the accused on the 4th October 2020 had been obtained through pressure and threats, and that the accused had in fact not made any statement before P.W. 1773 on that day. It was also suggested that P.W. 1773, together with Chief Inspector Marasinghe, had prepared a document containing a false date and statement and had affixed the signature of the 4th accused to it. The 9th accused further questioned P.W. 1773 as to whether the 4th accused had the possibility of obtaining legal representation at that time. In response, P.W. 1773 stated that such a possibility existed. The 9th accused then suggested that in 2020 persons held under remand or detention under the Prevention of Terrorism Act were not permitted legal representation, and that such access became possible only after the introduction of Section 10A by the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) (Amendment) Act, No. 12 of 2022. Thereafter, the 11th, 14th, and 25th accused also proceeded to cross-examine P.W. 1773.
The matter was fixed to be called again on 27th February 2026 at 10.00 a.m. for further trial.
