A gold-painted T-56 assault rifle discovered at a luxury apartment complex in Wellawatte, Colombo has been linked to Duminda Dissanayake, a former Sri Lankan cabinet minister and former General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, according to police investigations.
The weapon, which police have confirmed is unlicensed and illegal, was unearthed on 20 May when two women—an elderly Sri Lankan woman and her Kazakh daughter-in-law—were found in possession of it at the entrance of the apartment complex. What initially appeared to be a bizarre incident has since unravelled into a deeper probe implicating senior political figures and raising concerns about the unmonitored circulation of military-grade weaponry.
Police investigations have revealed that Dissanayake, who previously served as General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), had been residing in a state-owned residence adjacent to the complex. After vacating the premises, a former domestic employee reportedly transferred the firearm—concealed in a bag—to the neighbouring apartment of the Sri Lankan woman.
She told investigators she believed the gold-painted T-56 rifle was a toy and claimed to have had no idea it was a real weapon. Her daughter-in-law, who had come to collect a bag for her children’s school trip, unknowingly took the bag containing the rifle and placed it in her car. Upon realising the contents, she returned it to her mother-in-law's apartment.
The Kazakh national said her mother-in-law had even suggested that the golden weapon might amuse the children, still assuming it to be a decorative item or toy.
Police now believe the weapon may have originally been moved from the minister’s residence for safekeeping. Investigators allege that Duminda Dissanayake instructed the woman by phone to hold on to the weapon until further notice. The rifle, which police state is unlicensed and illegal, is currently undergoing forensic examination to determine its origin, including whether it may have come from a military stockpile.
Dissanayake has since been remanded and admitted to the prison hospital citing health concerns. His legal team has requested an additional hearing set for 29 May. The incident adds to growing unease over how weapons of war continue to surface in civilian settings, frequently tied to figures with ties to the state.