Senior State Counsel Janaka Bandara appearing for the CID told the Mount Lavinia Magistrate that there is suspicion that the Lasantha Wickramatunga assassination was a conspiracy involving Retired Senior DIG Prasanna Nanayakkara (3rd Suspect).
The Senior State Counsel made this submission before Mount Lavinia Chief Magistrate Mohamed Mihal when the case was taken up for hearing yesterday.
Earlier, President’s Counsel Anura Meddegoda requested Court to grant bail to his client former retired DIG Prasanna Nanayakkara. However, the Senior State Counsel objected the granting of bail to the suspect.
Meanwhile, Wickramatunga had penned down the two motorcycles’ registration numbers on his notebook before he was killed, according to the SSC. He told Court, according to investigations, the retired DIG had instructed SI Sugathapala to remove the pages of the GCIB where he had entered the notes.
When Sugathapala showed his disapproval, DIG Nanayakkara had warned Sugathapala and revealed that he was following a directive.
He also said according to the findings DIG Nanayakkara told SI Sugathapala that the IGP had wanted to destroy the evidence pointing to Wickrematunga’s murder and he( rtd. DIG Nanayakkara) had further asked SI Sugathapala whether he would like to be killed before he could implement those orders.
Meanwhile, the Senior State Counsel submitted to court how the telephone of former Kalubowila JMO, Dr.Sunil Kumara was linked with the third suspect, DIG Prasanna Nanayakkara to conceal evidence of the Lasantha Wickramatunga murder.
According to the details of the call, the DIG had been constantly in touch with Dr. Sunil Kumara from time time Wickramatunga was pronounced dead.
Earlier, a person named Jesudhasan was arrested and remanded for Lasantha’s murder and two motorcyclists had been mysteriously murdered, Senior State Counsel added.
The senior State Counsel further stated that the two motor cycles had been stolen in Vauniya by two Tamil youths and further the CID had received information regarding two unidentified charred bodies found from Gambirisgaswewa, Anuradhapura on January 19, 2009, the day after the abduction had taken place.
At the investigation, it had come to light that the two charred bodies bore gunshot injuries. Senior State Counsel stated that it is not appropriate to grant him(third suspect) bail due to the foregoing.
The Senior Journalist and Former Editor if the Sunday Leader Lasantha Wickramatunga was killed on 8th January 2009.
Mount Lavinia Chief Magistrate ordered to re- remand the suspect until May 14.