Why is Gota not yet questioned, court asks IGP

The Colombo Fort Magistrate's Court yesterday (25) ordered Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chandana D. Wickramaratne to make an explanation regarding the investigation related to the sum of Rs. 17.85 million, which was found at the President's House in Colombo when it was taken over by the public in July 2022, being removed from the Police Special Investigation Unit (SIU) and being handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), and the Police's failure to comply with a court order to record a statement from former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa regarding the said sum.

When the relevant case was taken up before Colombo Fort Magistrate Thilina Gamage, the SIU informed the court that the IGP had ordered it to hand over the investigation into the incident to the CID. The officers who appeared for the SIU also stated that when the IGP was asked for permission to record a statement from Rajapaksa in accordance with the court order issued in relation to this incident, he (the IGP) had informed the SIU that the relevant investigation had been handed over to the CID.

At this point, the Magistrate said that the court orders made so far should be implemented regardless of which officer investigates the incident. Informing that legal action will be taken against the officers who act contrary to those orders, he ordered the IGP to make an explanation about handing over the investigations to the CID without following the order to record a statement from Rajapaksa.

Meanwhile, President's Counsel Rienzie Arsecularatne, who appeared for Inter-University Students' Federation Convenor Wasantha Mudalige, Attorney Nuwan Bopage, and several others, who have been named as suspects related to the incident, stated that the IGP cannot avoid court orders as per his wishes. He also said that the order that had been issued to the SIU to transfer the investigations to the CID is illegal, and can be considered as contempt of court.

Furthermore, the SIU Director informed the court that the relevant telephone service provider had provided telephone records pertaining to 11 November 2021, when it had instead been ordered by the court to provide the records pertaining to 11 November 2022, in relation to the incident of Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of the Western Province, Deshabandu Tennakoon having allegedly threatened a Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of the SIU who conducted the relevant investigations into two telephone calls made on 11 November 2022. The lawyers representing Mudalige and several others stated before the court that this incident too could be considered as an insult to the court. The Magistrate then ordered the chief executive officer of the concerned company to appear before the court and make an explanation.

Meanwhile, Assistant Superintendent of Police Piyal Nishantha, appearing for the CID, informed the court that although the investigations had been handed over to the CID, the related excerpts have not been received so far, adding that investigations will be carried out as soon as they are received.

The attorneys who appeared before court for those who have been named as suspects said that they cannot be satisfied with the investigations underway in relation to this incident. They said that there are many problems related to the investigations such as the submission of erroneous telephone records, the removal of the officers conducting thorough investigations and the transfer of the same to other officers, and various threats to investigating officers.

Magistrate Gamage ordered that the case be called again on 8 February 2023.

Thousands of people gathered in Colombo and launched a massive protest demanding the resignation of then-President Rajapaksa and then-Prime Minister and incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe, and the Government, on 9 July 2022. During the protest, the people were able to seize control of the President's House, the Presidential Secretariat, and the Temple Trees.