Lakshman Ananda Wijemanne Vs Officer-In-Charge, Special Crime Investigation Bureau – CA PHC 158/2016-2022

In the case between Lakshman Ananda Wijemanne, 5th accused acting under power of attorney for his sister (appellant), and Officer-in-Charge, Special Crime Investigation Bureau, Kuliyapitiya, and the Hon. Attorney General (respondents), the court addressed the issue of whether the appellant was properly made an accused in a land transaction fraud case without sufficient investigation or evidence. It was held that the appellant had been implicated without adequate material or even a recorded statement, and that both the Magistrate’s Court and the High Court erred in rejecting his application for discharge. The court reaffirmed the principle that an accused can only be charged upon satisfactory material resulting from a proper investigation, in accordance with Section 182(1) of the Criminal P