A Sri Lankan court today remanded the former navy intelligence officer who was arrested by the Criminal investigations Department (CID) on Monday in connection with the abduction and disappearance of 11 youths.
Colombo Fort Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne ordered former Navy Lieutenant Commander Chandana Prasad Hettiarachchi to be remanded until the 29th of this month when he was produced before the court today.
Hettiarachchi is the main suspect in the abduction and disappearance of 11 youths in Colombo and suburban areas during 2008-2009. Eleven boys including six international school students and five university students were abducted from Kotahena and Dehiwala areas to extort money from parents. However, it is not ascertained yet whether the abducted youth are still living or dead.
Hettiarachchi was also wanted in connection with the 2006 slaying of Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian Nadarajah Raviraj.
The former navy intelligence officer was evading arrest since his release on bail last year and earlier this year Fort Magistrate issued a red notice to arrest the suspect. The CID took various initiatives in the past for the arrest the suspect, also seeking public support.
He was arrested by the Criminal Investigations Department when he was at the Lotus Road in Colombo last Monday. The Fort Magistrate Court yesterday allowed the CID to detain him for questioning until today.
The CID told the court today that the suspect has obtained a national ID card and a passport providing false information and using the false passport has gone to Malaysia in April 2017.
He has returned to Sri Lanka in March this year. And following his return, Hettiarachchi has worked as a security guard at an estate in Dompe area.
The CID informed the court that the suspect has come to Colombo to obtain the rent due for two vehicles he has rented to the Sri Lanka Port Authority.
The CID further informed the court that a high ranking Navy officer has given the suspect Rs. 500,000 before he left the country and the money has been taken from the accounts of the Navy. Considering all the facts, Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne ordered the Bank of Ceylon to provide all the information regarding the relevant bank account to the CID. The magistrate also ordered the CID to arrest any official who may have helped the suspect to obtain a false national ID and a passport.
Courtesy: Colombo Page
