Former Defense Secretary Hemasiri Fernando and former IGP Pujith Jayasundara might be acquitted from the cases filed against them for failing to prevent the Easter attack, legal experts say.
Hemasiri Fernando and Pujith Jayasundara were charged separately before a three-judge bench comprising Justices Namal Balalle, Aditya Patabendi, and Mohamed Irshadeen, and 855 indictments were filed against each of the accused.
The indictment was handed down to them in October 2021 and the evidence of the complaint was examined till last January. Accordingly, the hearing of the complaint was concluded on January 19 and the decision on whether to release the accused without summoning the accused is due to be announced tomorrow (18).
Legal experts point out that there is a high probability that Hemasiri Fernando and Pujith Jayasundara will be acquitted of these two cases as they have failed to prove any of the charges filed by the Attorney General’s Department beyond a reasonable doubt.