Police tells court:

Lasantha received 9 suspicious calls

CHAMINDA Perera and SURANJITH Perera - Dehiwela-Mount Lavinia group correspondent

The Mirihana Police Special Division investigating into the assassination of Sunday Leader Editor Lasantha Wickrematunga yesterday told court that Wickrematunga had received over 9 suspicious calls on that fateful day.

The investigators in a report to the Court stated that Wickrematunga had received a telephone call from the telephone which is being used by LTTE spokesman Daya Master.

The police stated that they conducted a comprehensive investigation into the telephone numbers from which Wickrematunga had received calls and found that these numbers are suspicious.

The police made these findings after the mobile phone used by Wickrematunga was scrutinised. This mobile phone was snatched away by a person who was at the place where the assassination took place.

Mount Lavinia Chief Magistrate permitted the police to obtain a comprehensive anaylsis report from the Moratuwa University IT Department over Wickrematunga's phone and the numbers from which he received calls.

The suspect who snatched away Wickrematunga's phone was remanded till March 26. The court also ordered another suspect who kept the particular phone with him to keep him under police custody.

The Court ordered Police that the vehicle used by Wickrematunga be released to the Central Finance Company on the request of lawyers appearing for Wickrematunga.