COLOMBO (News 1st) - A three-judge bench of the Colombo High Court today (7) sentenced two men convicted over the illegal possession and storage of explosives in Wanathawilluwa, Puttalam, in 2018, to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment.
The Trial-at-Bar ordered that the prison term be implemented after deducting the period the two convicts had already spent in detention and remand custody.
The judgment was delivered by the three-member bench comprising Judges Lal Ranasinghe Bandara, Rashmi Singappuli and Nayomi Wickramasekara.
The case originates from a major Criminal Investigation Department (CID) operation in 2018, during which investigators recovered a stockpile of nitrate, 12 live rounds of ammunition, a firearm, and quantities of nitric acid and urea allegedly intended for the manufacture of explosives in Wanathawilluwa.
The Attorney General subsequently filed 14 indictments against Abu Hanifa Mohamed Musif, Ameer Hamza Mohamed Hamas, Mohamed Sarifu Adam Lebbe, Mohamed Ibrahim Sadik Abdullah, Mohamed Ibrahim Mohamed Naufar and Mohamed Rameesh Mohamed Sajid in connection with the discovery.
During proceedings held on September 28, the first accused, Abu Hanifa Mohamed Musif, and the second accused, Ameer Hamza Mohamed Hamas, pleaded guilty to the charges brought against them.
Accordingly, the case was called today for sentencing following their admission of guilt.
After considering the facts presented before court and the guilty pleas entered by the two accused, the Trial-at-Bar imposed 10 years of rigorous imprisonment on both convicts.
