September 21, Colombo (LNW): The Colombo High Court is set to deliver its long-awaited verdict tomorrow (22) in the case involving 24 defendants accused of offences connected to the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks, including allegations of conspiracy, aiding and abetting.
The defendants face a total of more than 23,270 charges, making the proceedings one of the most extensive criminal trials heard before the Sri Lankan courts in recent years.
The case was heard before a three-member High Court Trial-at-Bar comprising Judges Navaratne Marasinghe, Ramanathan Kannan and Sujeewa Nissanka. Among those named as defendants is Naufer Mawlawi.
Over the course of the trial, the prosecution called 2,309 witnesses to testify. The Attorney General’s case, along with evidence presented by the defence, was heard through continuous daily proceedings before the presentation of evidence was brought to an end on 24 August.
With the evidence phase finally concluded after years of extensive proceedings, the three-judge bench subsequently fixed 22 September as the date for the delivery of its determination.
The verdict is expected to mark a significant stage in the long-running legal proceedings arising from the Easter Sunday attacks and will determine the court’s findings on the numerous allegations brought against the 24 accused.