Kodithuwakku Arachchige Premila Saranga alias Henegama Rathnasiri vs. The Hon. Attorney General – CA HCC/0264/2017-2022

In Kodithuwakku Arachchige Premila Saranga alias Henegama Rathnasiri (Accused-Appellant) v. The Hon. Attorney General (Complainant-Respondent), the court addressed the sufficiency of circumstantial evidence to prove murder beyond reasonable doubt, the proper evaluation of the accused-appellant’s unsworn dock statement, the evidential reliability of items recovered under Section 27 of the Evidence Ordinance after a significant lapse of time, and the impact of contradictions or delays in witness statements. It was held that the circumstantial evidence established the exclusive guilt of the accused-appellant, inconsistencies in witness testimony did not undermine the prosecution’s case, and the trial judge lawfully rejected the dock statement. Established legal principles regarding assessment