Welikada Prison Incident: CID to check phone records of 12 persons
Colombo Additional Magistrate Priyantha Liyanage has granted approval to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to obtain telephone records from 12 individuals related to the deaths of 27 inmates at the Welikada prison complex in November of 2012.
The twelve individuals in question also include Jagath Alwis, Major Generals Shantha Dissanayake, Ruwan Kulathunga and Sunil Manawadu, Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police (SDIG) Anura Senanayake, SDIG Nimal Wakishta, Former Prisons Commissioner General P.W. Kodippili, Police Narcotics Bureau Inspector Neomal Rangajeewa, Prisons Commissioner Emil Lamahewa and Indika Sampath.
The Colombo Additional Magistrate gave this order following a request made to that effect by the CID when the case related to the said incident was called up at the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court today.
The suspects who are currently remanded in the case were produced in the Court by prison officers.
Submitting a progress report on the case, the CID informed the Court that empty cartridges and 161 firearms related to the incident had already been sent to the Government Analyst (GA) and that those reports were being obtained as parts due to scientific sections being erased due to a long time being needed to obtain the full report.
The CID told the Court that in order to confiscate illegal cell phones and drugs in possession of the inmates, the Special Task Force (STF) had launched a search operation at the said prison on 9 November, 2012. After that a group of inmates incensed at the move to search the prison premises, had broken the armoury of the prison before getting hold of weapons and firing back at the STF. In the ensuing clash between the prisoners and the STF, 27 inmates had been killed, the CID told the Court.
Taking the submissions into consideration, Colombo Additional Magistrate Liyanage ordered Police Narcotics Bureau Inspector Neomal Rangajeewa and Prisons Department Commissioner Emil Lamahewa who are in remand prison related to the case to be further imprisoned till 3 July.
The CID arrested the duo related to the case on 28 March.
