Thursday, 17 November 2011 10:45
Lanka News Web

 

The CID had not appeared before court when Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra’s murder case was taken up for hearing in the Magistrate’s Court No.4 on the 15th due to an order by the Defence Secretary, it is learnt.

The Defence Secretary who was well aware that the case was to be called at 1.30 p.m. had asked CID Director, Mahesh Perera and SP Ampavila to meet him on the 15th with the documents and files related to the case.

It had also been informed to Perera and Ampavila not to bring any other officer along with them. Therefore, Ampavila has had to drive the vehicle to the Defence Ministry.

The two police officers who had visited the Defence Ministry had met with Deputy Solicitor General Buvaneka Aluvihare. The deputy solicitor general had handed the list of persons who would have to face litigation in the case and had explained in details the response that should be given in the event a question is raised on the non inclusion of MP Duminda Silva’s name.

The Magistrate’s Court had then telephoned the CID and asked that officers from the Department be sent immediately to the courthouse. Disturbed by the telephone call, ASP Shani Abeysekera had immediately contacted Director CID over his mobile phone. The director had asked Abeysekera to immediately go to court and that the list of names of the persons who will have cases filed in the murder case would be delivered to him in court.

The CID Director had also asked Abeysekera to defend Duminda Silva as directed by Aluvihare.

Therefore, the court was humored by the statement made by Abeysekera in defence of an alleged murderer and drug dealer by bringing disrepute to the office of the CID.

Abeysekera had later told one of his friends that he had never been so insulted while serving in the police force and had to remain silent as he would be killed if he removed his uniform and left the force.

A senior police officer told us that the law abiding officers ate the CID were happy to hear the Magistrate order the inclusion of Colombo District parliamentarian R. Duminda Silva’s name as a suspect in the Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra’s murder case and for the CID to arrest and present him in court.