Vass allegedly extorted money from Mervyn Secretary-police

MONDAY, 17 JUNE 2013 

DIG Vass Gunawardena had allegedly extorted money from the coordinating secretary of Public Relations Minister Mervyn Silva, investigations revealed.

The DIG had allegedly taken money from the coordinating secretary “Singapore Sarath” to refrain from taking action against him for the possession of heroin and firearms. The DIG had also told Singapore Sarath that his name was on a list of drug traffickers who were to be killed.

The CID had conducted the investigations after a suspect in the killing of Bambalapitiya millionaire- Mohamed Shyam made a statement before Colombo Additional Magistrate Mohamed Shahabdeen. Colombo North DIG Vaas Gunawardena arrested by the CID under suspicion in connection with the abduction and murder of a businessman has been transferred to the Prisons Hospital from the Colombo National Hospital, Prisons Commissioner (Operations) G. B. Kulatunga said.

Commissioner Kulatunga told the Daily Mirror that he was transferred to the Prisons Hospital on Saturday evening and would remain there until his health condition improved.

Gunawardena was admitted to the Colombo National Hospital by the CID on June 13 due to ill-health resulting from diabetes, hypertension and cardiac issues. He was arrested on June 10 after being questioned under a 72hour detention order, on suspicion of abducting and murdering Mohammed Shyam, a Bambalapitiya-based businessman on May 22. Gunawardena was to be produced before the Magistrate Courts on June 25.(Manopriya Gunasekera-Courtesy Lankadeepa)

Singapore Sarath too has paid ransom to DIG Vaas

MONDAY, 17 JUNE 2013 

Investigations have revealed that murder suspect DIG Vaas Gunawardene has taken a ransom of Rs.13 million from ‘Singapore Sarath, a coordinating secretary of Minister Mervin Silva. It is revealed that a part of the money has been already paid to the DIG.

It is reported that ‘Singapore Sarath’, a suspect of the murder of Hasitha Madawala, a Member of Kelaniya Pradeshiya Sabha, had been promised that charges against him would be withdrawn and his drug business would be allowed to be carried out without any hindrance.

Also, it has been revealed that ransom had been taken from a large number of Tamil businessmen in Colombo stating he knew their connections with the LTTE and the ransom was to avoid arresting them on terrorist charges.