Court orders CID to release property seized from house linked to Easter attacks suspect

Colombo Fort Magistrate Isuru Neththikumara today (25) ordered the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to release the gold, gemstones and other property seized by the CID from a residence in the Mahawila Gardens housing scheme in Dematagoda, linked to a suspect in the Easter Sunday terror attacks. 

The items in question had been taken into custody from the residence of the second suspect in the case related to the series of bombings, Ibrahim Ilham Ahmed.

Accordingly, the Colombo Fort Magistrate Isuru Neththikumara has ordered the CID to release them to Iflal Ahmed, the brother of the suspect, within one week.

The Magistrate Isuru Neththikumara stated that a previous Magistrate had already issued an order granting a reasonable time for objections to be filed, and warned that legal action would be initiated against the CID for contempt of court if the directive was not complied with.

The order was made following a request submitted through counsel of Iflal Ahmed, brother of Ibrahim Ilham Ahmed, who carried out the bomb attack at the Shangri-La Hotel Colombo on Easter Sunday, Inshaf Ahmed, who died in the bomb explosion at the Dematagoda residence, and Jifri Fathima, the wife of Inshaf Ahmed, who also died in the explosion, with Iflal Ahmed claiming ownership of the seized items and seeking their release. 

The Magistrate further noted that although another judge had directed the CID to submit a report regarding the previous Magistrate’s order, the CID had failed to comply with that directive as well, and accordingly ordered that the goods be released within a week.