MOVES UNDERWAY TO ARREST CHIEF OF DEFENCE STAFF

Lakmal Sooriyagoda-Thursday, August 30, 2018

The Colombo Fort Magistrate yesterday ordered the CID to take necessary action to arrest former Navy Commander and Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne.

The order was made on condition that there is sufficient evidence to prove that he had aided and abetted Navy officer Chandana Prasad Hettiarachchi alias Navy Sampath to evade courts regarding the magisterial inquiry into disappearance of 11 youths.

Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne made this order when the Magisterial inquiry into the disappearance of 11 youths in 2008 and 2009 was taken up for inquiry yesterday.

Chief Inspector Nishantha Silva of the Criminal Investigation Department informed court that there is sufficient evidence to support that CDS Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne acted in a manner to prevent the tenth suspect Lt. Commander Chandana Prasad Hettiarachchi being arrested over the disappearance of 11 youths in Colombo.

Meanwhile, Chandana Prasad Hettiarachchi alias ‘Navy Sampath’ arrested in connection with the abduction, torture, extortion and murder of 11 persons in 2008 and 2009 was yesterday ordered to be further remanded till September 12 by the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court.

Court was informed that Attorney Ajith Prasanna had appeared on behalf of Chandana Prasad Hettiarachchi during the previous magisterial inquiry without the suspect’s consent or his instructions. Counsel Kalpa Perera appearing on behalf of the suspect told court yesterday that his client had never given instructions to Attorney Ajith Prasanna to act on behalf of him.

The tenth suspect had been impersonating a guard named Polwattage Gallage Ashoka with a fake National Identity Card. He had been working as a guard in an estate in Dompe.

Hettiarachchi was in the Sri Lanka Navy in the rank of Lt. Commander. He was wanted by police in connection with kidnapping for ransom, illegal detention and murder of 11 youths in 2008 and 2009.
Previously, he had been issued an open warrant to be arrested by the Fort Magistrate’s Court.
The CID is currently investigating the abduction and disappearance of 11 youth and several navy personnel have been arrested in this connection including former Navy spokesman Commodore D.K.P. Dassanayake.

The CID is investigating the abduction and disappearance of 11 youth based on a written complaint by then Navy Commander Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda to the DIG CID on May 28, 2009 against his personal security officer, then Lt. Commander Nilantha Sampath Munasinghe following which the CID was able to uncover the Navy’s involvement with the abductions.

Those abducted were Kasthuriarachchilage John Rit alias John, Rajiv Naganathan alias Malli, Pradeep Vishvanathan, Tillakeshwaran Ramalingam, Mohomed Sajith, Jamamdeen Dilan, Amalan Leon, Roshan Leon, Anthony Kasthuriarachchi, Theagaraja Jegan and Mohomed Ali Anver alias Hajiyar.

OIC of CID’s Gang Robbery Unit-Chief Inspector Nishantha Silva appeared for the prosecution.
Counsel Kalpa Perera appeared for the suspect. Counsel Achala Seneviratne appeared for the aggrieved party.