Disappearance of 11 youth:-Magistrate rules:CID should remain in the probe
The Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court yesterday rejected a request made by the defence that investigations pertaining to former Navy Spokesman Commodore D.K.P. Dassanayake and nine others be transferred from CID to any other police station.
Making an order in this regard Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne announced that a decision to transfer a police investigation from one police unit to another is vested with an Assistant Superintendent of Police or any other higher ranking police officer.
In this case, former Navy Spokesman Commodore D.K.P. Dassanayake and nine others are accused of aiding and abetting the abduction and disappearance of 11 youths in 2008 and 2009.
Meanwhile, the Magistrate issued an order directing Rear Admiral Ananda Guruge to be present before CID on March 5 to make a statement regarding the investigations into disappearance of youths.
The defence had made an application to change the investigative agency; namely, CID and transfer the investigation to “any other Police Station”.
Defence counsel submitted to court that there were contradictions in the statements recorded and the CID is acting partially against the Navy Officers. Filing written submissions against defence’s request, Counsel Achala Seneviratne appearing for the aggrieved party informed court that there is no ground to transfer the inquiry out of the CID.
The written submissions further stated that the Navy continuously obstructed the investigations, but thanks to the professionalism and independence shown by the CID to withstand pressure, the investigations progressed successfully. Two remanded suspects were ordered to be further remanded till March 8.
The missing persons had been abducted by an unidentified group at Dehiwala, Battaramulla and Wattala in 2008 and 2009.
