Sri Lankan court sentences 2 for attempted assassination on ex-president
Xinhua, September 30, 2015 Adjust font size:
Two were sentenced to long prison terms by a Sri Lankan High Court here on Wednesday for the assassination attempt on former President Chandrika Kumaratunga in 1999.
Velayuthan Vartharajah was sentenced to 290 years rigorous imprisonment, to be served in 30 years, and Chandra Ragupathi was sentenced to 300 years rigorous imprisonment, also to be served in 30 years by the Colombo High Court.
A third accused, Vasanthi Ragupathi, was acquitted and released.
The two individuals were found guilty of conspiring to assassinate the former president and also causing the death of 26 people who were killed in the bomb explosion.
Kumaratunga narrowly escaped the assassination attempt which was caused by a suicide bomber, in the capital, as she was attending an election rally to contest the presidential election in 1999.
Kumaratunga was campaigning to win a second term in office when the bomber who was part of the Tamil Tiger rebels, attempted to climb a security fence as she was walking towards her car and triggered the explosive device after being blocked by security guards.
She sustained injuries to her right eye and face and the blast claimed the lives of 26 people, including Kumaratunga's driver, two bodyguards, the senior Deputy Inspector General of Police and the bomber. Endi