PRISONERS DEMAND KAPPAM, FROM PRISON
The Galle police had commenced investigations into a complaint where two prisoners posing off asnotorious underworld kingpins of the South had after threatening with death, forced certain businessmen to deposit funds into certain Bank Accounts .
A complaint by a businessman of Galle to the DIG of Galle area led to the commencement of these investigations.
The businessman had informed police that a certain person who spoke via a mobile phone last December identifying himself as an underworld figure related that a suspect in custody over the Kolonnawa Shooting is in need of money to pay the lawyer’s fees and indicated an account number to deposit Rs. 50,000 for this purpose.
The caller had insisted that the money be deposited forthwith, failing which he would kill his wife and children and that two of his henchmen are trailing the businessman. The businessman fearing the threat had deposited the money at the Bank as demanded.
This demand for money continued in January this year too, where the caller had indicated a different account
The repeated demands for money compelled the Galle businessman to report the matter to the DIG, who instituted investigations. Later it was revealed that the account holders had been two women from Kandana and Chilaw
number at the second occasion. The caller had also demanded that the businessman purchase a phone card for Rupees two thousand and to notify him the PIN after scratching the phone card.
The repeated demands for money compelled the Galle businessman to report the mat- ter to the DIG, who instituted investigations. Later it was revealed that the account holders had been two women from Kandana and Chilaw.
When questioned the two women admitted that a husband of one and an uncle of the other are in remand custody. The two prisoners had obtained the account numbers of the women in order to raise funds for the case through friends.
A court order is to be obtained to produce the two prisoners before the Galle Magistrate.
On the orders of the DIG Galle Hector Dharmasiri, the OIC of the Galle CID SI I.G Chandrasena, SI Lakkantha Piyatillake Sergeant Liyanage, Woman PC Kanthi are conducting further investigations.