Court allows CID to detain Gnanakone for questioning

by Sarath Malalasekera

Colombo Chief Magistrate and Additional District Judge Sarojini Kusala Weerawardena allowed an application by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to detain Charles Gnanakone, suspect in the assassination of former Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, for one month and question him in connection with the killing.

At the outset CID moved court to grant them permissions to detain the suspect Gnanakone in order to question him in connection with the killing.

Judge Weerawardena also directed the CID to submit a comprehensive report about their investigations in connection with suspect Gnanakone, when they produced suspect Gnanakone after one month.

The five suspects who were taken into custody in connection with the assassination were further remanded pending the completion of the ongoing investigations.

Earlier Judge Weerawardena ordered to suspend the passport of Gnanakone and to inform the Controller of Immigration and Emigration of the Court order.

The Judge also ordered the Dialog cellular limited to furnish all the relevant details about the telephones recovered by the investigators.

The investigating team forwarded all the items collected at the scene to obtain expert evidence on several tests including DNA, Fingerprints and Ballistics.

The Special Police Squad deployed on the direction of IGP Chandra Fernando and conducted by Senior DIG Sirisena Herath are trying to ascertain whether the owners of the house where the LTTE assassins who fired sniper bullets through a window at the Foreign Minister are close associates of the owners.

Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar was assassinated by a sniper bullet fired by an unidentified gunman in Colombo on August 12 night.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Colombo DIG Pujit Jayasundera, Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) Director Senior SP Sarath Lugoda and Colombo South Senior SP S. H. Dayananda are assisting in the investigations.