Commodore Dassanayake, five others further remandered

Former Navy Spokesman Commodore D.K.P. Dassanayake and five others arrested on the charge of aiding and abetting the abduction and disappearance of 11 youths in 2008 and 2009 were yesterday ordered to be further remanded till November 15 by the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court.

When the case was taken up before Colombo Fort Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne, the CID informed Court the former Navy Commander had stated in writing that the 11 youths who had been allegedly abducted by the six suspects were not connected to the LTTE. On a previous occasion, the CID informed Court that the 11 persons who were abducted by unknown groups in Colombo and its suburbs, had been taken to underground detention cells at a Navy camp in Trincomalee which was supervised by a Navy Lieutenant Commander.

The missing persons had been abducted by an unknown group at Dehiwala, Battaramulla and Wattala in 2008 and 2009. Counsel Achala Seneviratne appearing for the aggrieved parties requested the Magistrate to provide an order to check the health condition of the former Navy Spokesman, who is receiving medical treatment at Welisara Naval Hospital.

The Magistrate said that she would provide a suitable order after checking the Judicial Medical Officer’s (JMO) reports of the suspect. The Magistrate had also ordered the Navy to produce the necessary documents relating to the case to the CID.