Jan 26, Tangalle: Prison officials today escorted the main suspect of the murder of a British tourist last year to chair a meeting of the local council in Tangalle of Southern Province.

The ruling party Chairman of Tangalle Pradeshiya Sabha Sampath Chandra Pushpa Vidanapathirana chaired the local council meeting today amidst heavy security of the prison officials and was taken back to the remand prison after the meeting.

Vidanapathirana is the main suspect of the brutal murder of Khuram Shaikh Zaman, 32, a British tourist from Manchester at a tourist hotel in Rekawa, Tangalle on Christmas Eve last year.

Zaman's colleague, 23-year-old Russian national Victoria Alexandrovna was also attacked by the gang allegedly led by the Tangalle Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman.

Sri Lanka tourism officials strongly reacted to the murder urging the government to promptly arrest the culprits and provide better security measures to ensure the safety of tourists.