The Colombo High Court has granted bail to two men who have spent close to 17 years in remand custody over allegations that they aided the 2006 LTTE suicide bombing that targeted then Army Commander Sarath Fonseka.
The court ordered their release on a cash bail of Rs. 200,000 together with four personal sureties of Rs. 5 million each, NewsFirst reported. But High Court Judge Buddhi C. Ragala directed that both men remain in remand, as they were unable to meet the conditions attached to the order.
The two were named as Shanmugalingam Suriyakumar and Thambaiyah Prakash, alias “Danush”, who are alleged to be former LTTE members. The court also ordered them to report to the Terrorism Investigation Division on the second and fourth Sundays of every month and to surrender their passports.
The order was made following an application before the Court of Appeal. In reaching its decision, the court weighed the fact that the accused had been held on remand for roughly 17 years while proceedings continued. The maximum sentence available on the charges currently before the court is 20 years’ imprisonment.
The 2006 attack
The case concerns the suicide bombing carried out on April 25, 2006 near the entrance to Army Headquarters in Colombo. The attack was allegedly executed by a female LTTE suicide bomber identified as “Durga”, who detonated explosives while targeting Fonseka, then the Army Commander.
Fonseka was seriously wounded. Several people were killed, including a military sergeant and three corporals attached to his security detail, along with other members of the security forces and civilians.
The Attorney General filed indictments against the two accused on a total of 230 charges in connection with the bombing.
Both men also face separate proceedings — over an alleged attempt to assassinate former President Maithripala Sirisena in Boralesgamuwa, and over allegedly aiding and abetting the assassination of former Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle in Weliweriya.
Long remand periods under scrutiny
The length of time the two spent awaiting trial reflects a wider pattern in cases brought under the Prevention of Terrorism Act, where suspects have been held for years without a concluded trial. Courts have increasingly treated prolonged remand, combined with the likely time still needed to finish a trial, as grounds for release.
Fonseka survived the 2006 attack and returned to command the army through the final phase of the war, later serving as Chief of Defence Staff and entering politics. He was promoted to Field Marshal in 2015.
