Rohana Priyanthage Antony Kumar vs The Attorney General – CA HCC/0004/21-2024

In the case between the Attorney General’s Department (Complainant-Respondent) and Rohana Priyanthage Antony Kumar (Accused-Appellant), the court addressed the sufficiency and credibility of the prosecution’s evidence concerning charges of possession and trafficking of Diacetylmorphine (Heroin). It was held that the prosecution failed to establish the Appellant’s guilt beyond reasonable doubt, primarily due to doubts relating to the timeline of police procedures and the credibility of police witness testimony concerning the swift completion of arrest formalities. The case reaffirmed the principle that in criminal trials, the prosecution must prove its case beyond reasonable doubt and that the presumption of innocence operates in favor of the accused. The decision relied upon a close analys