Jude Shramantha Jayamaha, who was convicted in the high-profile Royal Park murder case and later released under a presidential pardon by former President Maithripala Sirisena after receiving the death penalty, is no longer in Singapore, according to information provided by Singaporean authorities to the Sri Lankan government.
This was revealed by the Attorney General’s Department during a hearing on Tuesday (29 April) before the Supreme Court, regarding the progress of efforts to bring Jayamaha back to Sri Lanka. The update was shared by Senior State Counsel Sajith Bandara during proceedings related to a fundamental rights petition on the matter.
The petition was heard before a three-judge bench comprising Justices S. Thurairaja, Yasantha Kodagoda, and Janak de Silva.
Presenting further details, the Senior State Counsel explained that based on initial information that Jayamaha was residing in Singapore, the Attorney General had formally requested Singaporean authorities to initiate the necessary extradition procedures. However, Singapore later informed Sri Lankan officials that Jayamaha is no longer in their country. As a result, a special investigation has been launched to determine which country he is currently residing in.
During the hearing, Justice S. Thurairaja, who chaired the bench, observed that although nearly a year has passed since the court issued its judgment, the steps taken to trace Jayamaha have been unsatisfactory.
Justice Yasantha Kodagoda also questioned whether the authorities had sought information about Jayamaha through the Controller General of Immigration and Emigration.
In response, the Senior State Counsel stated that reports have been requested from the Department of Immigration and Emigration and that further investigative steps will be taken accordingly.
It was also informed that Former President Maithripala Sirisena has completed the payment of a sum of Rs. 1 million as compensation ordered by the Supreme Court.
