Akuregoda double murder: owner of house where shooter was hiding arrested

The owner of the house that allegedly provided shelter to the second shooter involved in the recent shooting and killing of a lawyer and his wife at a supermarket’s parking lot in Akuregoda has been arrested.

According to the police, the suspect was taken into custody this afternoon (26) by the Monaragala Police at a residence in the Diviyapola area of Nannapurawa, Medagama.

He is scheduled to be handed over to the Western Province South Crime Division for further investigations, police said.

The Western Province South Crime Division has detained the second shooter who was arrested in Monaragala yesterday (25) in connection with the double murder and has been detained for 72 hours for interrogation.

During questioning, it was revealed that the murdered lawyer had appeared in two cases involving the shooter, police said. 

Investigators stated that when the suspect arrived in Akuregoda, he had allegedly told the other shooter, “Buddhika knows me because he appeared in two of my cases.” 

Subsequently, the suspects had reportedly stopped their vehicle and opened fire when they approached the lawyer’s car, police stated.

According to the police, the suspect has also reportedly confessed that he acted on the instructions of an individual known as ‘Karandeniya Sudda’ in a separate plot to assassinate former Superintendent of Boossa Prison, Siridath Dhammika. 

The suspect further revealed that he carried out the attack with another individual named “Lala” and that he personally fired two shots at Dhammika.

Furthermore, the suspect has allegedly revealed his involvement in a triple murder that took place in the Southern Province, police said.

Meanwhile, investigators have obtained CCTV footage showing the suspect arriving at a lodge in the Pannipitiya area prior to the Akuregoda attack. 

The footage reportedly shows him being transported to the location by an individual named “Janaka”, who had previously been arrested by police.