GotaGoGama attack case will proceed against other suspects, while the Attorney General has reportedly decided not to indict Mahinda Rajapaksa.
COLOMBO — Attorney General Parinda Ranasinghe has reportedly decided not to indict former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa over the May 2022 attack on anti-government protesters at Galle Face, after investigators’ evidence was deemed insufficient to support charges against him.
The decision was reported by the Sunday Times as prosecutors prepare to pursue indictments against other suspects in connection with the violence at the “GotaGoGama” protest site.
Rajapaksa was serving as Prime Minister under then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa when the violence erupted on May 9, 2022. Protesters at Galle Face were attacked after government supporters gathered at Temple Trees earlier that day, triggering widespread unrest across the country.
The Attorney General’s reported decision not to indict Rajapaksa means he will not face charges in the proposed High Court prosecution on the evidence presently before prosecutors. It does not amount to a judicial determination of the wider events surrounding the attack.
Charges to Be Filed Against Other Suspects
Prosecutors are nevertheless moving ahead with a substantial criminal case against other suspects over the violence.
The source report states that investigators recommended charges against 34 suspects based on eyewitness testimony, circumstantial evidence and expert analysis of video footage from the scene.
Three of those named have since died: former State Minister Sanath Nishantha, political activist Dan Priyasad and former trade union leader Vasantha Hadapangoda.
The remaining suspects are expected to face indictment in the Colombo High Court.
Among the prominent figures identified in the source as being due to face charges are former Minister Johnston Fernando, former Inspector General of Police Deshabandu Tennakoon, former Moratuwa Mayor Saman Lal Fernando and former Member of Parliament Milan Jayathilaka.
All remain entitled to the presumption of innocence unless and until found guilty by a court.
Three-Judge High Court Bench Sought
Attorney General Ranasinghe has also reportedly requested Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena to appoint a special three-judge High Court bench to hear the case.
The supplied report states that prosecutors are preparing a single indictment containing 327 charges against 31 suspects, including allegations relating to unlawful assembly, attempted murder and causing grievous hurt.
However, this numerical detail requires further confirmation before publication.
A separate recent report on the proposed prosecution states that indictments are to be filed against 20 defendants on 328 charges and that the Attorney General has asked the Chief Justice to appoint a three-judge High Court bench.
Because the available reports conflict over both the number of accused and the number of charges, The Morning Telegraph has not independently established which set of figures reflects the Attorney General’s final indictment.
The central development, however, remains that prosecutors are moving towards a High Court trial over the May 9, 2022 violence, while Mahinda Rajapaksa is reportedly not among those to be indicted because prosecutors considered the evidence against him insufficient to support charges.
