The retired doctor who was arrested in connection with the recent recovery of hand grenade from All Saints’ Church in Borella today (Jan. 26) recorded a statement for two hours with the Colombo Additional Magistrate behind closed doors.
When the case was taken up yesterday, Additional Magistrate Rajindra Jayasuriya directed the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) to conclude investigations into the incident as soon as possible.
CCD officers were also instructed to brief the court on February 02 of the progress of the investigations into the suspects who are being interrogated under detention orders.
Meanwhile, President’s Counsel Rienzie Arseculeratne, who represented the detained sacristan of the church Francis Munindran and two other suspects in the case alleged that the manner in which the incident is being investigated is flawed.
He also raised doubts whether the hand grenade had been planted with the intention of disrupting the church service, which was scheduled to be held on January 14 to mark 1,000 days since the Easter Sunday terror attacks.
Stating that the probes carried out by the CCD are unreliable, President’s Counsel requested the Colombo Magistrate’s Court to transfer the investigation to another police division.
Meanwhile, Attorney-at-Law Chaminda Atukorale, who appeared on behalf of the said retired doctor Shirley Herath, stressed that his client suffers from several ailments and that he is a 75-year-old who stopped practising medicine since 2006 upon reaching the age of retirement.
He said a group of police officers had inspected his client’s residence on the 17th of January and taking the mobile phones and laptops of the residents into custody, without a court order.
The additional magistrate, in response, noted that the police are not required to obtain a court order to inspect the house of a suspect arrested pursuant to the Prevention or Terrorism Act (PTA).
He also raised concerns about the media reports which stated that his client planted the hand grenade over a long-standing feud he has had with the church in question and how the media got hold of certain secret information divulged during investigations.
Following yesterday’s proceedings, the additional magistrate later ordered to remand the suspects until February 02.
