The Attorney General’s Department has dismissed reports and says that the recommendation to release three suspects was not related to the murder case of slain journalist Lasantha Wickrematunge.
Issuing a statement, the Department said that the recommendation was in relation to the abduction of Wickrematunge’s driver.
The investigation into Wickremetunge has not concluded, the statement said.
Detailing further, the statement said that the abduction of Lasantha Wickrematunge’s driver has been filed under the same case number 92/2009, who was not an eye-witness of the murder investigation.
Citing several lapses in the legal proceedings, the AG’s Department said that there was insufficient evidence to sustain a prosecution against one suspect Prem Ananda Udalagama.
Two other suspects, Hettiarachchige Don Tissasiri Sugathapala and Vitharana Arachchige Sirimevan Prasanna Nanayakkara, are accused of involvement in the disappearance of Wickremetunga’s field notebook, which allegedly contained motorcycle registration numbers of those who followed him.
Due to these reasons, the Attorney General decided to discharge the three suspects and not pursue further legal action.
