Zeik Ismail Akbar alias Master v. The Attorney General, Attorney General’s Department, Colombo 12 – CA HCC/0052/2018-2022

In the case between Zeik Ismail Akbar alias Master and the Attorney General, the court addressed the issue of whether the prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt the appellant’s possession and trafficking of heroin, and the legal sufficiency of the admitted Government Analyst Report in the absence of direct testimony. It was held that the prosecution did not establish its case to the required standard, primarily due to misdirection by the High Court regarding evidentiary procedures, particularly the introduction and evidentiary value of the Government Analyst Report. The principle reaffirmed is that acceptance of the chain of custody does not equate to acceptance of the analytical findings of a report, and crucial documents must be properly proven through appropriate testimony. The judg