Colombo Magistrate Lochana Abeywickrema has ordered the remand of 14 military personnel in connection with the murder of the captain of the Thotalaga Elee Sports club,Pinchadewage Akila Sampath Ratnasiri.
The suspects will be held in prison until the 15. Lawyers representing the accused had requested the court to issue orders to the Superintendent of Prions to provide them with security inside the prison but the magistrate had denied the request stating that the suspects had not carried out an intelligence operation. It is noted that the wife of the victim was also remanded by the magistrate.
Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Thilakaratne of the Army who is the Commanding Officer of the Mattakkuliya Army Camp and 13 soldiers from Mattakkuliya army camp were arrested. Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Thilakaratne had allegedly orchestrated the murder, the victim was abducted in an SUV belonging to that Mattakuliya Army camp on the12 September and his body was later found on the 20 September on the shores of Crow Island. Police have stated that the victim was strangled by the suspects before they proceeded to dump the body into the Kelani river from the Sedwatte bridge. Troops stationed at the Mattakkuliya army camp were redeployed by accused war criminal Shavendra Silva following the arrests of the suspects.
