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Morris Wickramasinghe murder case:

Police blamed for not arresting suspects

COLOMBO: Additional District Judge and Magistrate Colombo A. Anavaratne, inquired from the CID whether there exists any impediment in arresting Senior Superintendent of Police K. Udayapala, a suspect in the Morris Wickramasinghe murder case.

The Magistrate observed that after the inquest proceedings were over and when the Magistrate made an order to arrest and produce K. Udayapala and the other suspects the CID has conducted investigations on the evidence that was given by the witnesses and other material and submitted several reports to court on the investigations.

The material so submitted to court does clearly show the suspicion that Udayapala’s involvement is well founded. The CID can now act upon section 116 of the Criminal Procedure Code and produce the suspect before court.

Hemantha Warnakulasuriya, President’s Counsel watching the interests of the relatives of the deceased stated that if there was even a semblance of the evidence for murder any suspect of whatever position would be arrested by the police.

IGP would personally direct police officers to arrest him but in this case, the suspect being a Senior Superintendent of Police, there was a lack of interest by the police in arresting him.

The Magistrate’s order after the inquest which clearly names K. Udayapala as one of the accused is interpreted to say that Magistrate’s intention was otherwise and inquiries are conducted causing grave prejudice to the witnesses who wanted to testify, and further the Police Commission has not made any order to interdict him.

Under these circumstances certain witnesses have not come forward to testify due to fear for their lives. Warnakulasuriya thanked the CID that in spite of the pressures the officers investigating into this crime has done a commendable job.

It is now revealed that Pinnaduwa Hewage Renuka Wasanthi was accused in a murder case causing the death of her daughter’s boyfriend Baby Praveen Suranga. When the police did not arrest anyone of these accused on the instructions of K. Udayapala, the mother of the deceased complained to the Magistrate that a Senior Police Officer was interfering with the investigations and preventing the junior police officers from arresting the accused.

The Gangodawila Magistrate issued a warrant for the arrest of this accused and directed Udayapala to conduct complete investigation and produce the suspect in court, Udayapala gives police protection to the residence in which Renuka Wasanthi was hiding not only by ordering a sergeant and four police officers to protect her but also placing a police barricade in front of the house.

The police protection and the barricade is removed under the instruction of the Udayapla when Renuka Wasanthi leaves the house to another safe house. Then she commits the murder of Noel Wickremasinghe and is wanted for that murder too. Then she with the help of Udayapala enters into the land owned by Nihal Wickremasinghe and occupies it.

Udayapala summons Welikada OIC Sagara Liyanage to his office and orders to give protection to a murder suspect wanted for two murders. A few days before the murders, OIC Sagara Liyanage receives a telephone call that some people alleged to be an underworld gang employed by K. Udaypala is in front of the house of the deceased.

Sagara Liyanage, OIC Welikada immediately sends a police officer to arrest them. The OIC has stated that after he dispatched police officers to bring them to the police station he got a call from Udayapla not to take any action and told ‘Panditha Weda karanna epa’

Four days later Morris Wickremasinghe was murdered by Antony Gossip alias Maiiya who came with others in a white coloured van followed by Renuka Wasanthi. The CID has found telephone calls emanating from Renuka Wasanthi’s telephone to K. Udayapala’s telephone. In the month of January alone there were 13 such calls.

Anil Silva, Senior Counsel for Udayapala said that the court at this stage cannot issue a wanrrant to arrest Udayapla as then the Court would be controlling the police. ‘If the police for some reason is not doing their job, then cannot the court issue warrnat,” the Magistrate asked.

Anil Silva said that there is no provision under the Criminal Procedure Code to issue a warrant at this stage. When the inquest is over the Magistrate is functus. He cited several authorities in support of his contention.

The Magistrate said that there is no sufficient material as the information is well founded on the investigations conducted by the CID. I will give you one week to produce the suspects.

Hemantha Warnakulasuriya and Shantha Perera with number of juniors appeared for the aggrieved party. Anil Silva appeared for K. Udayapala. I. P. Rathnayaka appeared for the CID.

 

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