Dinesh Gunawardena to say in court Khurram Shaikh’s girl was not raped!

 Wednesday, 30 October 2013 

Lawyers for the accused in the killing of British tourist Khurram Shaikh on Christmas Day in 2011 at ‘The Nature’ tourist resort in Tangalle are to call minister Dinesh Gunawardena to give evidence. That is because minister Gunawardena has told parliament that the Russian companion of Khurram had never been raped, although Tangalle Pradeshiya Sabha chairman Sampath Vidanapathirana and the other accused have also been charged with gang raping her.

Minister Gunawardena’s remarks, in response to a question by an opposition member, have been included in the Hansard. Nevertheless, one of the charges included in the indictments served against the accused by the attorney general recently is that they had gang-raped the Russian girl. There is justifiable suspicion that the AG had intentionally done so in order to make a case in favour of the accused.

If the indictments are not amended by the AG before the hearing of the case commences on November 01, lawyers for the accused hope to call minister Gunawardena to give evidence. The lawyers expect the minister to include the relevant Hansard report as an evidence for the accused.