Former Navy Spokesman further remanded | Page 2 | Daily News

Former Navy Spokesman further remanded

Former Navy Spokesman Commodore D. K. P. Dassanayake and five others arrested on the charge of aiding and abetting the abduction and disappearance of 11 youths in 2008 and 2009 were yesterday ordered to be further remanded till January 16 by Colombo Fort Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne.

The Court had earlier refused to grant bail on the suspects citing that there is no exceptional circumstances to release the suspects on bail. Six suspects including former Navy spokesman were produced before Court by prison officials.

The Court yesterday recorded a statement from a witness in the case following a request by the defence. On a previous occasion, the Court had issued an order directing the Superintendent of the Welikada Prison that former Navy Spokesman Commodore D. K. P. Dassanayake be transferred to the Prison Hospital from the Welikada Navy Hospital.

The Magistrate made the order taking into consideration a request made by by the prosecution and the aggrieved party of the case alleging that 7th suspect D. K. P. Dassanayake was enjoying special privileges while being at Welisara Navy Hospital contrary to the normal prison procedure.

On July 12, the CID arrested the former Navy Spokesman at the Sri Lanka Navy base in Welisara, following an investigation into the incident. On a previous occasion, the CID informed Court that the 11 persons who were abducted by unidentified groups in Colombo and the surrounding areas in 2008, had been taken to underground detention cells at a Navy camp in Trincomalee which were supervised by a Navy Lieutenant Commander.

The missing persons had been abducted by an unidentified group at Dehiwala, Battaramulla and Wattala in 2008 and 2009. Senior State Counsel Janaka Bandara with OIC of the CID’s Gang Robbery Unit-Inspector Nishantha Silva prosecuted. Counsel Achala Seneviratne appeared for the aggrieved parties.


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