Arrested Duminda Dissanayake finds health at prison hospital

Former Minister Duminda Dissanayake 

Former Minister Duminda Dissanayake, who was arrested and remanded following the discovery of a gold-plated firearm at a prominent apartment complex in Havelock Town on Tuesday (20), has been admitted to the prison hospital.

Prison Media Spokesman Commissioner Gamini B. Dissanayake said, according to a Court order, former Minister Dissanayake was admitted to the prison hospital for a medical examination.

Dissanayake was remanded until 29 May after he was produced before the Mount Lavinia Magistrate’s Court.

Subsequently, he was admitted to the Magazine Prison.

The Department of Prisons stated a Court order was issued later instructing officials to admit former Minister Dissanayake to the prison hospital and provide him with medical treatment.

Accordingly, he has now been admitted to the prison hospital.

A 68-year-old woman and her niece, a Kazakh national, were arrested last Tuesday by the Wellawatte Police for the possession of a gold-plated T-56 assault rifle.

It was reported that a servant who had worked at Dissanayake’s residence had handed the firearm to the woman about six months ago, according to statements given to Police.

Subsequently, the servant was also arrested in Ruwanwella. After being produced before the Mount Lavinia Magistrate’s Court, an order was issued to remand the three suspects until 5 June.

At the Court hearing, officers attached to the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) stated that Dissanayake had contacted the woman via phone and instructed her to keep the firearm at her residence until further notice.

The firearm in question was revealed to be one that had been under the possession of the chief security officer of the father of Dissanayake, although it has not yet been disclosed whether it had a valid licence.

The gold-plated T-56 assault rifle was discovered inside the 68-year-old woman’s travel bag at the apartment complex.

A complaint was made via the ‘119’ police emergency hotline, stating that an elderly woman was seen carrying what appeared to be a T-56 assault rifle towards the apartment complex. Security personnel at the complex were informed accordingly.

Officers, including the Officer-in-Charge of the Wellawatte Police Station, visited the location and discovered the firearm during their inspection.

The relevant security officer revealed that, when questioned about the firearm, the two women claimed it had been in the back of a luxury vehicle and that they had taken it, assuming it was a toy gun. Subsequently, Police questioned and arrested the two women – a 68-year-old Sri Lankan woman and her niece, a Kazakh national – and later obtained detention orders to hold the pair for questioning.

Accordingly, Police launched an investigation using CCTV footage from areas the suspects had travelled through in the vehicle.

The footage revealed that the two women were seen carrying the bag containing the T-56 rifle out of their residence at the apartment complex.

Police later inspected the other woman’s residence in Pelawatte and escorted her, along with the vehicle used to transport the firearm, to the Wellawatte Police Station.

During questioning, the women told Police that someone may have placed the firearm inside the vehicle while the doors were left unlocked.

Nevertheless, both women were taken into custody, along with the vehicle, on suspicion of possessing and concealing a T-56 assault rifle.

The investigation was subsequently handed over to the TID and inquiries are ongoing.