The Colombo High Court today acquitted and released a former Army Captain and his personal driver, who had been on trial for more than two decades over an alleged robbery at a jewellery shop in Wellawatte in 2001.
According to the indictment, former Army Captain Udayashantha Kodituwakku Dissanayake and his driver, Ilanga Shiran, were accused of entering the shop and stealing a mobile phone worth Rs. 20,000, allegedly threatening those inside with a Rambo knife and a firearm.
High Court Judge Lanka Jayaratne ruled that the evidence presented was insufficient to establish the charges, and ordered the immediate release of both accused.
The decision concludes a legal battle that has stretched nearly 24 years.
