Absent from court: warrants on police officers

False charges case against Panadura North police

Arrest warrants were issued by the Panadura Chief Magistrate Ruchira Weliwatta on four police officers who failed to appear in court in connection with a case against them.

Panadura North police had filed action against five police officers who allegedly made false entries in inquiry records and submitted a “B” report to the magistrate implicating a suspect when they were attached to the Panadura North police. The four police officers absent from court

when the case was called were SI Mallawarachchige Saman Padmakumara, Sergeants 41055 Rupasinghe Jagath Siriwardene, 2503 Punchi Banda Sarath Kumara and a police constable. The first suspect IP R.M.Prasanna Ratnayake, former OIC of Panadura North police and at present OIC Angunukolapelessa police had informed court he was required by the Attorney General to attend to an urgent matter and that he was not in a position to appear in court. The five officers had allegedly arrested a man on a false charge of possessing a petrol bomb.