CDS CHARGED AND REMANDED UNTIL DEC. 15
Yesterday CDS Ravindra Wijegunaratne surrendered himself to the Colombo Fort Magistrates Court in connection with the investigation into his alleged involvement in aiding and abetting murder suspect
Lt. Cdr. Hettiarachchi alias ‘Navy Sampath’ to escape arrest. One suspect, Laksiri Amarasinghe, has already been arrested in this connection, and remains in remand custody.
The CID, represented by ASP Sisira Tissera and IP Nishantha Silva, informed Magistrate Ranga Dissanayake that the Chief of Defence Staff has been named as a suspect in this investigation. The CID listed several charges against the country’s senior-most serving military officer, including several charges under the Assistance to and Protection of Victims of Crime and Witnesses Act (APVCWA) No. 4 of 2015.
Adm. Wijegunaratne was charged under Section 8 (4) (a) of the APVCWA for causing “harassment, intimidation, coercion, violation, physical or mental suffering and loss or damage to the reputation” of Inspector Adrian Nishantha Silva as a consequence of Inspector Silva having made testimony in court that was adverse to Adm. Wijegunaratne. The admiral was also charged under Section 8 (4) (b) of the APVCWA for causing “an adverse change to be made to the conditions of employment in the place of employment” of Inspector Silva as a consequence of the inspector’s adverse testimony. According to the law, these are non-bailable offences; each punishable by up to seven years of imprisonment.
The CID also complained against Wijegunaratne under the APVCWA and the Penal Code for his alleged involvement in the attack last Sunday on prosecution witness Lt. Cdr. Laksiri Galagamage at Navy Headquarters. The CID informed court that Wijegunaratne is suspected of participating in an unlawful assembly, criminal intimidation, attempting to assault a witness, and threatening a witness.
Based on the submissions of ASP Tissera and IP Silva, the Magistrate said that the evidence of the CDS’ involvement with trying to remove IP Nishantha Silva from the CID made clear that he was capable of interfering with the investigation. The Magistrate ordered that Wijegunaratne be remanded until December 15, 2018 and be produced before court on that day.
Outside the court premises, several journalists and photo-journalists, covering the court proceeding, came under attack by unidentified assailants who arrived on motorbikes. The Magistrate ordered the Fort Police to take action against those initiating these assaults.