From Cyril Wimalasurendre
KANDY: The driver of the jeep that carried the soldiers alleged to have gunned down the ten Madawala Muslim youths inside a van at Palletalawinna on the day of the General Election and the driver of the Defender jeep used by Lohan Ratwatte were produced before the Teldeniya Acting Magistrate Sarath Premakumara on Monday afternoon.

The two army drivers were arrested and produced before the magistrate by SP Kulasiri Udugampola investigating the alleged massacre of the ten youths on December 5.

The two drivers were arrested on December 30 at Lunugamvehera where they were hiding after having escaped from the custody of a group of private intelligence that kept them for some days, SP Kulasiri Udugampola told the magistrate.

The drivers had served the army for at least ten years and hailed from Batuwatte near Kelaniya and Padukka, it was revealed.

A certificate from the Kandy JMO, who examined the suspects was produced along with the suspects before the magistrate.

The magistrate remanded the suspects till January 9 and ordered that they be kept in remand outside Kandy.

The suspects will be produced for an identification parade on January 9.

SI Dharmaratne, PS Abeyratne (9219) PC Gamini (38096) and PC Jayaratne Assisted SP, Udugampola.