A.G. Ranjith Ambagaspitiya & L. Sujith Ranga Kumara vs The Hon. Attorney General – CA CASE NO. 169-170/2017-2021

In the case between A.G. Ranjith Ambagaspitiya and L. Sujith Ranga Kumara (Accused-Appellants) and the Hon. Attorney General (Respondent), the court addressed whether convictions for theft under section 366 of the Penal Code and the Offences Against Public Property Act could be sustained. It was held that the convictions could not stand due to material deficiencies in the prosecution’s evidence, including inconsistencies in witness testimony, insufficient identification of stolen property, and lack of independent evidence directly linking the appellants to the offence. The principles reaffirmed include the critical requirement for cogent, independent evidence and full proof of all legal elements of theft to sustain a conviction. This decision emphasized the prosecution’s burden under crimi