Duminda Silva
| Duminda Silva | |
|---|---|
| Member of Parliament Colombo District | |
|
In office 2010–2015 | |
| Member of Western Provincial Council | |
|
In office 2004–2010 | |
| Personal details | |
| Nationality | Sri Lankan |
| Political party | Sri Lanka Freedom Party |
| Other political affiliations | United People's Freedom Alliance |
| Residence |
40/8 Perera Mawatha, Pelawatta, Battaramulla |
| Website | rdumindhasilva.com |
Duminda Silva, also known as Arumadura Lawrence Romelo Duminda Silva and R. Dumindha Silva, is a Sri Lankan politician and a former Member of Parliament.[1][2] He is the brother of Raynor Silva, owner of the Asia Broadcasting Corporation.[3] Duminda Silva is alleged to have strong connections to the drug trade in Sri Lanka[4] and is a close associate of the powerful former defense secretary of Sri Lanka Gotabaya Rajapaksa.[5][6] On September 8, 2016, he was sentenced to death by the High Court of Sri Lanka for the murder of Sri Lankan politician Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra, a political rival. He is also to Gotabaya Rajapaksa the powerful defence secretary of the Rajapaksa government.[7]
Political career
In the July 2004 provincial council election, Silva was elected to represent Colombo District in the Western Provincial Council.[8] He defected from the United National Party to the United People's Freedom Alliance in November 2007.[9] The UNP accused Silva of defecting to the UPFA in the hope that the criminal cases against him would not be pursued and the Asia Broadcasting Corporation's broadcasting licence would be restored.[3]
Silva was re-elected in the April 2009 provincial council election.[2]
In the April 2010 parliamentary election Silva was elected to represent the Colombo District in Parliament.[10]
Shooting and Trial
During the 2011 local elections, Silva sustained injuries from a shooting and was hospitalized. As a result of the gunfire, former MP Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra and three others were killed. On 15 November 2011, a magistrate ordered Silva's arrest for the killing of Premachandra.[11][12][13][14] On 8 September 2016, the High Court of Sri Lanka found Silva and four of his associates guilty and imposed the maximum penalty, the death sentence, on all of them for the killing of Bharatha Premachandra and three of his supporters.[15][16][17][18] The decision of the three judge High Court Trial-at-Bar was divided with Judges Padmini Ranawake and Charith Morais deciding on a guilty verdict on five of the suspects and Judge Shiran Gooneratne acquitting all suspects of all charges.[19] It was alleged, before the verdict was announced, that Judge Gooneratne was involved in a conspiracy to acquit the main suspect Duminda Silva.[20] Details of Judge Gooneratne's alleged involvement in this case have been reported in the Sri Lankan press soon after the verdict was announced.[21]
References
- ↑ "R. Dumindha Silva". Directory of Members. Parliament of Sri Lanka.
- 1 2 "Preferences Colombo" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka.
- 1 2 Jabbar, Zacki (14 November 2007). "Duminda joined Govt. to protect family business, personal interests – Attanayake". The Island, Sri Lanka.
- ↑ "Wele Suda's ascend -- Assisted by politicians and police top brass, Wele Suda rose to the helm of heroin trade in Sri Lanka". Ceylon Today. 7 February 2015.
- ↑ "Duminda Silva: Sri Lankan ex-MP sentenced to death". BBC News. 8 September 2016.
- ↑ ""Gota’s Man" Duminda Silva And Four Others Sentenced To Death". Colombo Telegraph. 8 September 2016.
- ↑ "So why Did Duminda Silva end up in prison ?". Retrieved 21 March 2017.
- ↑ "Results of Provincial Council Elections 2004" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka.
- ↑ "Political horse deals rule the day". The Nation, Sri Lanka. 18 November 2007.
- ↑ "Parliamentary General Election - 2010 Colombo Preferences" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka.
- ↑ "Local Government Election violence - 2011 Colombo Municipality". BBC.
- ↑ "Bharatha killed, Duminda injured in shooting". The Sunday Leader.
- ↑ "'Duminda Silva shot Bharatha Lakshman'". BBC.
- ↑ "Court orders CID to arrest Duminda Silva". TimesOnline. November 15, 20112. Retrieved November 15, 2011. Check date values in:
|date=(help) - ↑ Silva, Shehan Chamika (8 September 2016). "Duminda, four others sentenced to death". The Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka).
- ↑ "Duminda Silva sentenced to death in Bharatha Lakshman case". News First. 8 September 2016.
- ↑ "Sri Lankan court orders new autopsy on slain editor". Mail Online. Agence France-Presse. 8 September 2016.
- ↑ "Duminda Silva sentenced to death in Bharatha murder case". India Today. Press Trust of India. 8 September 2016.
- ↑ "Five sentenced to death over Bharatha Lakshman murder". ITN Sri Lanka. 8 September 2016.
- ↑ "Conspiracy to free Duminda Silva in Bharatha Lakshman murder case by Sarath Silva: Black money rides the high horse!". LankaeNews. 26 July 2016.
- ↑ "Decision of 'Tinkering Baas' that Duminda is not guilty was written by another judge! Conspiracy hatched in Gota's house". LankaeNews. 12 September 2016.
