DEFENSE COUNSEL ASKS COURT TO REMOVE CID FROM CASE

DISAPPEARANCE OF 11 YOUTHS:

Defense Counsel appearing for nine former navy personnel on the disappearance of 11 youths in 2008 and 2009, yesterday handed over a written submission requesting Fort Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne to move the CID out of the case because they were carrying out their investigations in a biased manner.

The Magistrate on the request made by the defence would deliver an order on the next hearing date.

When the case was taken up in Court, the CID’S Gang Robbery Investigation Unit OIC Nishantha Silva said the CID had requested the public to forward any information on the missing suspect Chandana Prasad Hettiarachchi alias ‘Navy Sampath’.

Earlier, the Magistrate had issued an open warrant for the arrest of Navy Sampath and directed the CID to obtain Interpol assistance to arrest him in case he had escaped from the country.

Meanwhile, the Magistrate remanded the two former navy officers -- eighth suspect Kasthurige Gamini and the ninth suspect Aruna Thushara Mendis -- till February 22.

The CID is continuing its investigations into the abduction and disappearance of 11 youths by an unknown group at Dehiwala, Battaramulla and Wattala.

Six other former navy personnel including former navy spokesman D.K.P. Dassanayake were arrested in this connection and later released on bail.