Govt yet to approve funds
By Ishara Ratnakara-2016-06-24
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) yesterday informed Colombo Additional Magistrate Nishantha Peiris that the Ministry of Law and Order had still not approved costs to send CCTV camera footage of the murder of Rugger star Wasim Thajudeen to Canada, in its efforts to clearly identify Thajudeen's killers.
Though the IGP had submitted a written request to the Secretary to the Ministry of Law and Order to supply the finances to send five CDs containing the CCTV camera footage of the Thajudeen murder to the British Columbia Institute in Canada, the CID told Court that approval for funds was yet to be received.
The CID is now planning other means of sending the five CDs to the British Columbia Institute in Canada in a bid to clearly identify Thajudeen's killers to file reports to the effect that the rugby player had died of injuries sustained in a road accident.
The CID said, in a progress report, submitted to Court yesterday, that investigations made to date have revealed that several top ranked Police officers had collaborated with the assailants of the rugby player in an effort to conceal the crime.
The CID added that they had recorded a statement from the OIC of Unit 5 of the Colombo Crimes Division and a former Police Inspector named Sumudu Sudesh Wijesinghe concerning the manner in which initial inquiries into the crime had been conducted.
The CID told Court that Wijesinghe was currently employed as an Inspection Officer at SriLankan Airlines.
The CID officers also told Court that as per a statement made by Wijesinghe, following an order given by the then Director of the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) SSP D.L.R. Ranaweera, they had obtained a report pertaining to telephone calls, through a Court Order, regarding a robbery case bearing number B 6082/01/11.
The CID added that they had recorded a statement from the OIC of Unit 5 of the Colombo Crimes Division and a former Police Inspector named Sumudu Sudesh Wijesinghe concerning the manner in which initial inquiries into the crime had been conducted.
The CID told Court that Wijesinghe was currently employed as an Inspection Officer at SriLankan Airlines.
The CID officers also told Court that as per a statement made by Wijesinghe, following an order given by the then Director of the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) SSP D.L.R. Ranaweera, they had obtained a report pertaining to telephone calls, through a Court Order, regarding a robbery case bearing number B 6082/01/11.
The CID informed Court that the Department had also obtained a report on the cell phone bearing registration number 0777354500 which was used by the victim, to be given to the former Head of the National Intelligence Unit, Kapila Hendawitharana, before it was handed over to the former Head of the CCD D.L.R. Ranaweera.
The CID informed Court that according to investigations into the Thajudeen murder, a statement from the Chief Operations Officer of Dialog Axiata Premasiri Ratnayake had also been obtained.
The CID stated that investigations also revealed that following a request by Kapila Hendawitharana, relating to cell phone number 0777354500, a report on calls made from 1 March 2012 to 19 May 2012 had been sent to the e-mail address [email protected]
The CID told Court that they had recorded another statement from Wembert Basker, who had found the wallet of the victim down Robert Gunawardene Mawatha in Kirulapone between 6 and 6.30 a.m. on 17 May 2012.
The CID told Court that they had recorded another statement from Wembert Basker, who had found the wallet of the victim down Robert Gunawardene Mawatha in Kirulapone between 6 and 6.30 a.m. on 17 May 2012.
The CID stated that upon further interrogation, Basker had told Police that two Police officers arrived in a jeep and had taken him to the Kirulapone, Narahenpita and Colombo Police Stations where he was asked to make statements.
The CID further informed Court that it will be recording statements from Police officers connected to inquiries relating to the discovery of the wallet of the victim and the Police officers who had furnished photographs of the accident to the CCD.
PC Anil Silva made a plea for Court to release former DIG Anura Senanayake on bail on grounds of ill health. Senanayake is currently in remand custody on charges of concealing the murder and of having conspired in the crime.
PC Anil Silva made a plea for Court to release former DIG Anura Senanayake on bail on grounds of ill health. Senanayake is currently in remand custody on charges of concealing the murder and of having conspired in the crime.
However, Colombo Additional Magistrate Nishantha Peiris dismissed the appeal and ordered suspect Senanayake and former Narahenpita Police Crimes OIC Sumith Champika Perera to be further remanded until 7 July.
