Hemantha Pushpa Kumara alias Kurumbapitiyalage Hemantha Pushpalal vs. The Attorney General – CA HCC/0024/22-2023

In the case between Hemantha Pushpa Kumara alias Kurumbapitiyalage Hemantha Pushpalal (Accused-Appellant) and the Attorney General, the court addressed the issue of whether circumstantial evidence adequately established criminal breach of trust under section 388 of the Penal Code. It was held that the evidence showed the appellant misused bank pay orders entrusted by Singer Sri Lanka Ltd to clear goods for another company, thereby committing the offense. The principle reaffirmed that circumstantial evidence may suffice to establish criminal breach of trust when it negates any reasonable hypothesis of innocence. Reliance was placed on the evidentiary record, statutory interpretation, and relevant precedents. The court emphasized the sufficiency of circumstantial evidence for conviction in s