Court questions police over delay in recording statements from sureties in Kapila Chandrasena death probe
May 19, 2026 08:24 pm
The Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court today (19) questioned police over the failure to record statements from two individuals who had stood as sureties for former Chief Executive Officer of SriLankan Airlines Kapila Chandrasena, whose death is being investigated under suspicious circumstances.
The matter was raised during the third day of magisterial inquiry proceedings into Kapila Chandrasena’s death, Ada Derana reporter said.
During the hearing, investigators informed court that CCTV footage from the residence in which the body of Kapila Chandrasena was found and the surrounding areas had been examined, but no evidence had emerged showing any outsider entering the premises between May 5 and May 7, 2026.
The Colombo Crimes Division also informed court that CCTV systems at both the residence where the death occurred and the deceased’s residence had failed to store footage.
Police sought permission to send the DVR units from the CCTV systems and unidentified medication recovered from the scene to the Government Analyst for examination.
The Magistrate also questioned investigators regarding two guarantors whose names had surfaced during the inquiry.
When asked whether statements had been recorded from the individuals, police responded that they had not yet been able to do so.
The Magistrate then questioned how the investigation could proceed without obtaining statements from key individuals linked to the case.
Police later informed court that the two guarantors were currently in remand custody.
The court subsequently granted all investigative requests made by police and ordered further witness testimony to be recorded.
Among the witnesses who testified was a nurse attached to a private hospital, who described the condition in which Chandrasena’s body was found after responding to an emergency call.
A domestic employee at the residence where Chandrasena had been staying also testified, stating that he had last seen the former airline executive during the early hours of the morning carrying a white bottle near a water filter.
An engineer from the company that installed CCTV cameras at the residence also gave evidence regarding the functioning of the surveillance system.
The magisterial inquiry was postponed until May 22 for further proceedings.
