Illegal Elephant trade: Monks name revealed-CID

The CID on Friday told the Colombo Chief Magistrate that the name of Venerable Kolonnawe Sumangala

Thera was revealed during their investigation of the incident in which illegally caught wild elephant calves were sold to third parties by the suspect Ali Roshan.

The Special Investigating unit of the CID probing the matter made this assertion to the Colombo Chief Magistrate Gihan Pilapitiya through a further report filed in court.

They said the employees who worked under the suspect as vehicle drivers and mahouts helped the suspect to catch the elephant calves.

The residence of the suspect at Pannipitiya where five elephant calves were found was used as a transit home until the beasts were sold.

The CID said they recorded the statement of one Dharmasena of Habarana who had assisted the suspect Samarappulige Niraj Roshan alias Ali Roshan to catch the elephant calves.

They said they seized 17 files pertaining to elephants from the custody of the suspect and already investigations on 8 of the files were completed.

They also said according to their investigations there was evidence of the suspect selling 39 elephants on which they are further investigating.

The CID said they would seek the assistance of the health unit of the Wildlife

The employees who worked under the suspect as vehicle drivers and mahouts helped the suspect to catch the elephant calves.The residence of the suspect at Pannipitiya where five elephant calves were found was used as a transit home until the beasts were sold.

Department to ascertain the ages of the elephants in order to determine the credibility of the documents tendered to the CID by the suspect.

The CID requested the Magistrate to remand the suspect further and to order the monk to seek the court’s sanction before he leaves the country.

The Magistrate remanded the suspect till tomorrow 24 and ordered the prosecution to inform the monk to seek the court’s order.