Shani Abeysekara and two others further remanded

Former Director of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) SSP Shani Abeysekara and two others, arrested for allegedly fabricating evidence in a case, have been further remanded until October 02 by the Gampaha Magistrate’s Court. 

In 2013, eight suspects including the former Police DIG Vaas Gunawardena, his wife, and son were placed under arrest after they were identified as suspects in the murder of businessman Mohamed Siyam.

Later, probes were also carried out into Gunawardena’s alleged illegal possession of weapons.

During the investigations, the CID had presented submissions to the court that a stash of weapons purportedly owned by Gunawardena was recovered from a house in the area of Kalagedihena in Gampaha.

The owner of the house and his wife were arrested this year, under the orders of Gampaha Magistrate.

However, two police officers, the owner of the house and his wife, who gave evidence on the recovered weapons stash recently, had altered their testimonies, saying that the said weapons cache was hidden at the said location by the former CID director himself.

Accordingly, based on these revised testimonies, the CCD launched an investigation into the incident under the directives of the IGP and arrested Abeysekara on July 31.

One of the two police officers was later taken into custody on the 4th of August, identified as Sub-Inspector Rohana Mendis, attached to the Embilipitiya Police Station and a resident of Kithulanpitiya, Oluwitake.