Saturday, 24 August 2013 00:00
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By Lakmal Sooriyagoda
The Colombo Fort Magistrate yesterday ordered prison authorities to produce former DIG Vaas Gunawardena in court on Monday (26) regarding another case in which he had exerted death threats to CID detectives while he was being questioned over the killing of businessman Shiyam.
Filing a fresh case against the former Western Province (North) DIG, the CID informed Magistrate Dammika Hemapala that the former DIG was arrested on charges of conspiring to murder businessman Mohammed Shiyam on 10 June.
The CID alleged that a team of CID detectives, including ASP Shani Abeysekara and Inspector M.A.S. Ranjith Munasinghe, the OIC of Special Investigation Division, had received death threats when the former DIG being questioned at the CID headquarters on 13 June.
Lodging a complaint with the CID special investigations division, ASP Shani Abesekara alleged that the suspect Vaas Gunawardena exerted death threats, stating: “Shani, I am a murderer, you all are not able to keep me inside forever, when I am out, see what I will do to you all.”
Meanwhile, the CID detectives had told police that they were of the view that the death threats posed by former DIG could be also considered a danger to the security of all of them and their families.
The CID further alleged that the suspect had committed a punishable offence under Sections 183, 186 and 486 of the Penal Code. Finally, the CID moved court that an order be issued to the prison authorities directing that the suspect be produced before court on 26 August. Having considered the submissions, the Magistrate ordered the superintendent of the Welikada prison to produce the suspect before Magistrate on Monday (26). The former DIG is currently being held in remand custody over two separate cases filed before two Magistrates’ Courts.
