Killing of Western Provincial Council Member:

Suspects further remanded

by Sarath Malalasekera

The four suspects who had been in remand in connection with the killing of Western Provincial Council Member Namal Gunawardena were further remanded till July 13 by the Colombo Fort Magistrate and Additional District Judge Sarath C. Karunaratne.

The four suspects are Nishantha Udaya Kumara, Sampath Kumara Wijewardena, Mohamed Niyas Nawfer alias Potta Nawfer and Sanjey Siriwardena.

The Court ordered suspect Sanjey Siriwardena to produce his revolver before court on the next date.

Earlier the Colombo Crime Division (CCD) probing the killing of Namal Gunawardena told Judge Karunaratne that the dossier of the investigations had been forwarded to the Attorney General for his instructions. The Judge also directed the CCD officials to obtain the Government Analyst report to ascertain whether the same weapon which was used to kill both Namal Gunawardena and Colombo High Court Judge Sarath Ambepitiya and his bodyguard.

The Judge directed the Prison authorities to produce the suspects before the Special Court in the Prison premises on June 29. The four suspects were taken into custody by the CCD in connection with the killing of Western Province Council Member Namal Gunawardena on October 11 at Dharmaraja Mawatha, Kollupitiya.

CCD Director Senior SP Sarath Lugoda is directing investigations assisted by ASPs Rohana Jayawardena, Palitha Fernando, Ranmal Kodituwakku, Inspector Nuwan Wedasinghe OIC, CCD and a team of officers of the CCD. Jayantha Dias Nanayakkara with Prasanna Weerasekera and Kingsley Hetiarachchi appeared for Sanjey Siriwardena.