The Attorney General today informed the Colombo Magistrate that Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra’s driver who was a prime witness in the Mulleriyawa shooting has now changed his stance stating in an affidavit that the earlier statement was made under undue ‘influence’ by various parties to the case.

Senior State Counsel Madhawa Tennakoon revealed this to Colombo Additional Magistrate Prassana De Alwis during the magisterial inquiry into the Mulleriyawa shooting.

The Counsel said witness Don Liyanage Saman Shantha Perera in an affidavit had informed the Attorney General that he had made that statement to the CID after the shooting incident on the instructions and pressure from certain parties involved into the incident.

Mr. Tennakoon said the witness in his affidavit under Clause 13 admitted that he was forced to make that statement by some parties involved in the case and by clause 14 admitted he had changed his position now. The counsel said the witness had withdrawn the earlier statement made by him to the CID.

Source: Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)