Controversial Pardon Sparks Legal Battle for Former Sri Lankan President

Former Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena is under investigation by the anti-graft commission regarding his controversial presidential pardon to a convicted murderer, Jude Shramantha Jayamaha, in 2019. The Supreme Court deemed the pardon unconstitutional and has ordered both a compensation payment and the extradition of Jayamaha from Singapore.

In a dramatic turn of events, former Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena finds himself embroiled in a legal battle over a contentious presidential pardon. The anti-graft commission on Tuesday officially recorded Sirisena's statement concerning a pardon he granted to Jude Shramantha Jayamaha, a murder convict, sparking widespread scrutiny.

Sirisena, whose presidency spanned from 2015 to 2019, granted a pardon to Jayamaha shortly before stepping down, following a 2005 conviction for the murder of Swedish teenager Yvonne Jonsson. This pardon, however, was reversed on June 6 by a three-member Supreme Court bench, labeling it "unconstitutional" and mandating Sirisena to compensate the victim's family by SLRs 1 million.

Jayamaha, who fled to Singapore post-pardon, faces extradition as ordered by officials. Sirisena, who opted not to contest in recent parliamentary elections, now faces the aftermath of what many consider a gross miscarriage of justice during his tenure.

(With inputs from agencies.)