Former CID Chief Shani's assistant gives closed door statement; claims "undue influence"

The suspect was produced to the Gampaha Magistrate on Tuesday (04) and was arrested on Monday (03) night when he visited the Colombo Crimes Division.

SI Mendis is attached to the Embilipitya Police Station and is charged with providing false evidence to a judicial matter by producing firearms with regards to a case filed against Ex-DIG Vass Gunawardena in 2014.

The Former CID Director Shani Abeysekera who was arrested on the same charge was remanded until the 07th of August.

Appearing for Sub-Inspector Mendis, Attorney-at-Law Chaminda Athukorala said in court, when his client was providing a statement to the Colombo Crimes Division, there was undue influence on him from an officer present at the premises at the time.

It was stated, ASP Neville from the Colombo Crimes Division had influenced Sub-Inspector Mendis.

The suspect thereafter made a request to make a statement to the Magistrate behind closed doors, and permission was granted to the request.

The Colombo Crimes Division informed the Magistrate's Court, Former Director of the CID Shani Abeysekera, IP Nishantha De Silva, SI Sugath Mohana Mendis who was at the time a Sergeant and several other officers had concealed weapons inside a storage facility at the house in Kalagedihena, Gampaha and later seized those weapons.

The CCD added, the officers had misled the court by producing false reports to claim the weapons belonged to Vass Gunawardena.

However, the Magistrate questioned the CCD if the murder weapon used in the Mohamed Shyam homicide for which Vass Gunawardena was sentenced to serve time, was among the weapons seized by police.

The CCD said the weapon used for that particular murder was not among the weapons adding the weapon is yet to be taken over by Sri Lanka Police.