Released; no involvement in Museum robbery

The gold nuggets were recovered from the suspect much before the Museum robbery took place and the police attempted to involve the suspect to LTTE and later tried to involve him to the Museum robbery. -Counsel

Colombo Crime Division (CCD) IP Somathilaka yesterday told the Vacation Court Magistrate S.S.K.Vithana that the gold nuggets recovered from a house at Kadawatha had nothing to do with the Museum robbery but they would investigate how the suspect came in with the possession of the gold nuggets and will report to court.Accordingly the Magistrate released suspect Thenuwara Aracharige Kelum of No 281/6 Albert Perera Mawath Biyanwila Kadawatha from charges and ordered him to appear in court when informed to do so.

The CCD earlier submitted that the gold nuggets recovered from the custody of the suspect Thenuwara Aracharige Kelum were suspected to have been removed from the antique sword used by Nugawela Adigar which was stolen from the Colombo Museum or from any other artifact that was removed from the museum.

The CCD recovered several amounts of gold from the suspect. The gold nuggets were recovered from a foundation pit of a house at Biyanwala Kadawatha. On questioning, the owner of the house had asserted that he found the gold from a load of gravel that was brought from Wellampitiya.

The police earlier alleged that the suspect had travelled to Jaffna and suspected he had LTTE links.

However, the suspect’s counsel on the last date of the case submitted that the gold nuggets were recovered from the custody of the suspect much before the Museum robbery took place and the police attempted to involve the suspect to LTTE and later tried to involve him to the Museum robbery.

Consequently the Magistrate on the last date of the case ordered the CCD to reveal to court on what section the suspect was remanded.

Yesterday the CCD informed court that the suspect was not involved with the museum robbery.