Court orders Police to record statement from Gotabaya

Colombo Fort Magistrate Thilina Gamage yesterday ordered the Police to record a statement from former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on the Rs. 17.8 million found inside the President’s House on 9 July. 

The money was allegedly found by anti-Government protestors who stormed the President’s House located in a high-security zone in Fort on 9 July after widespread protests in the country calling for Rajapaksa to step down as President in light of the worst economic crisis faced by the country in recent times. 

In a video that went viral at the time, protestors were seen counting the currency notes found inside Rajapaksa’s official residence. The money was later handed over to the Fort Police station and produced before the Magistrate following a court order. 

Making a submission in court, Rienzi Arsecularatne PC said that an investigation is required to determine if the money was a bribe or given for another reason. The order was given based on the submission by the counsel. 

In response, the Sri Lanka Police informed the courts that Rajapaksa no longer resides at his residence in Mirihana. Gamage ordered the Police to visit other residences of Rajapaksa in order to obtain his statement. 

Police Special Investigations Unit Director SSP D.S. Wickremesinghe told the court that investigations had revealed Senior DIG Deshabandu Tennakoon had instructed Fort Police OIC CI Sagara Liyanage to hand over the money to the Minister of Public Security.

SSP Wickremesinghe told the court that an investigation was also launched into the phone conversation between the duo. 

Gamage also ordered the Police to conduct an investigation into the matter based on the former President’s statement.