Duminda Silva
| Duminda Silva | |
|---|---|
| Member of Parliament Colombo District | |
|
In office 2010–2015 |
|
| Member of Western Provincial Council | |
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In office 2004–2010 |
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| Personal details | |
| Nationality | Sri Lankan |
| Political party | Sri Lanka Freedom Party |
| Other political affiliations |
United People's Freedom Alliance |
| Residence | 40/8 Perera Mawatha, Pelawatta, Battaramulla |
| Website | rdumindhasilva.com |
Duminda Silva, also known as Arumadura Lawrence Romelo Duminda Silva and R. Dumindha Silva, is a Sri Lankan politician and a former Member of Parliament. He is the brother of Raynor Silva, owner of the Asia Broadcasting Corporation. Duminda Silva is alleged to have strong connections to the drug trade in Sri Lanka and is a close associate of the powerful former defense secretary of Sri Lanka Gotabaya Rajapaksa. On September 8, 2016, he was sentenced to death by the High Court of Sri Lanka for the murder of Sri Lankan politician Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra, a political rival.
In the July 2004 provincial council election, Silva was elected to represent Colombo District in the Western Provincial Council. He defected from the United National Party to the United People's Freedom Alliance in November 2007. The UNP accused Silva of defecting to the UPFA in the hope that the criminal cases against him would not be pursued and the Asia Broadcasting Corporation's broadcasting licence would be restored.
Silva was re-elected in the April 2009 provincial council election.
In the April 2010 parliamentary election Silva was elected to represent the Colombo District in Parliament.
During the 2011 local elections, Silva sustained injuries from a shooting and was hospitalized. As a result of the gunfire, former MP Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra and three others were killed. On 15 November 2011, a magistrate ordered Silva's arrest for the killing of Premachandra. On 8 September 2016, the High Court of Sri Lanka found Silva and four of his associates guilty and imposed the maximum penalty, the death sentence, on all of them for the killing of Bharatha Premachandra and three of his supporters. The decision of the three judge High Court Trial-at-Bar was divided with Judges Padmini Ranawake and Charith Morais deciding on a guilty verdict on five of the suspects and Judge Shiran Gooneratne acquitting all suspects of all charges. It was alleged, before the verdict was announced, that Judge Gooneratne was involved in a conspiracy to acquit the main suspect Duminda Silva. Details of Judge Gooneratne's alleged involvement in this case have been reported in the Sri Lankan press soon after the verdict was announced.
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