Three To Die For Ceylon Premier’s Murder

Press, Volume C, Issue 29511, 12 May 1961, Page 13

Three To Die For Ceylon Premier’s Murder

(N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright)

COLOMBO, May 11.

Two Buddhist monks and a third accused were sentenced to death today on charges of conspiracy to murder and of the murder of the Ceylon Prime Minister, Mr Solomon Bandaranaike, in September, 1959, reported the British United Press.

Mapitigama Buddharakitha Thero, a 40-year-old high priest, and H. Jayewardene, father of seven children, were sentenced to death on a charge of conspiracy and Talduwe Somarama, 46-year-old Buddhist monk, was sentenced to death for conspiracy and murder.

More than 500 people Yesterday, he protested his

packed the Supreme Court in Colombo this morning to hear the sentences. Buddharakitha Thero retained his composure to the end. He entered politics in 1956 and helped Mr Bandaranaike to win a general election by setting up a political organisation of Bhuddhist monks.

innocence, claiming t lat he was a victim of a conspiracy that feared him politically.

Last night. it was announced in Parliament that

the Government would appoint a commission to investigate the political aspects of the assassination Such an investigation was promised in a speech from the Throne last year.