Daily NEWS Srilanka

The case regarding the death of a young man named Lahiru Dissanayaka because of an overdose of Viagra while in the Hokandara home of Member of Parliament Wimal Weeravansha which incidentally created an uproar was taken up in courts once again yesterday and on that occasion Wimal's son Vibhuthi and a friend of his who was there in that house on that day came forward to give evidence. In the meantime

Wimal Weeravansha's son gave his evidence yesterday (19) in relation to the death of Lahiru in the presence of Kaduwela Magistrate, Addl. District Judge Mr. Prasanna Alwis in the following manner: "That day was October 25th ... can remember well. At about 4 in the evening my friends came to my house. It was Arjuna, Dilika, Isuru and Lahiru ayya who came. We went upstairs and after having a chat there, later began to watch TV. Around 6.30 in the evening mother (Sashi Weeravansha) came home. That time we went down. After that we again started started chatting. Around 9 in the night Lahiru ayya went out and came back once again at about nine thirty. After bowing down to mother we went upstairs and started watching TV till about 12.30 in the night and went to sleep after that.

I slept in my room; Arjuna, Isuru and Dilika slept in the adjoining room. Lahiru ayya put a mattress on the floor on the top floor in the hall and slept there. I got up the following morning around 9.30 or 10. When I was going down to have my breakfast I saw Lahiru ayya sleeping on the top floor. I called him ... called him over and again. What I thought was that he was pretending to be asleep. I then went close to him and turned him to the other side and at that moment I noticed something queer about him. I got afraid. After that I went downstairs and told mother. She didn't believe me. I remained downstairs because I was frightened. After mother called Lahiru ayya's mother, she came running. Later he was taken to hospital".

Wimal's son's friend Dilika also gave evidence and what he said as evidence tallied with Vibhuthi's evidence. After the Magistrate left after hearing the case, Wimal's wife Sashi Weeravansha together with those who had accompanied her were involved in some argument with the female typist who recorded the statements in open courts. What Sashi Weeravansha said was that certain information in the evidence she submitted do not appear in the typed sheet. Thereafter she said that she wanted that information inserted once again and the typist noted down the observations. Whatever it is, what Mrs. Sashi Weeravansha said was that only after those observations were typed out that she would place her signature. At that moment a state of confusion was noted and a media reporter who was present at that time to report the proceedings complained that it was Buddhadasa's crowd who had appeared there. This case is to be heard once more on April 26th.

Report -- Airangi Edirisingha