Two PCS in extortion case granted bail

Mohammed Roshan of Madurankuliya complained that his brother Mohammed Rizvi had been taken into custody by a group of people who introduced themselves as the security officers of Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa

Two police officers attached to the Colombo Fraud Investigations Bureau in remand custody for the alleged involvement in an extortion case amounting to Rs.6 million, after detaining a person while posing as security officers of Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa were released on bail by a Colombo Court yesterday.

However, two other suspects including a police officer also allegedly involved in the incident were ordered to be further remanded till August 22 by Colombo Fort Magistrate Kanishka Wijeratne.

Lodging a complaint with the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), Mohammed Roshan of Madurankuliya complained that his brother Mohammed Rizvi had been taken into custody by a group of people who introduced themselves as the security officers of Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The complainant alleged the suspects had demanded Rs.10 million for the release of his brother and he paid them Rs.6 million at the Galle Face Green in Colombo.

When the case came up before Court, Counsel Darshana Kuruppu appearing for the second suspect, a Police Constable informed Court that charges against his client had not been included in the B report and he had not been identified in the identification parade and thereby moved to Court that he be released on bail.

Senior Counsel Sanjaya Gamage appearing for the first suspect, a Sub-Inspector also moved to Court that his client be released on bail on whatever condition the Court deemed fit. Having considered the submissions, the Magistrate ordered that the first and second suspects be released on a cash bail of Rs.200,000 and four sureties of Rs. 1 million each.

The other two suspects were ordered to be remanded till August 22.