AG calls on IGP to arrest two Avant Garde suspects before Friday

By Manopriya Gunasekera 

The Attorney General (AG) has called for Acting Police Chief C. D. Wickremaratne to arrest two suspects in the Avant Garde floating armoury case before Friday, and present them to court.

The suspects who had been listed out for arrest are National Police Commission Secretary Saman Dissanayake, and Former Senior Additional Defence Secretary Damayanthi Jayaratne. The directive was issued after the Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) had sought a clarification from AG Dappula De Livera on the grounds of arresting the two suspects, a statement from the AG’s department said. 

In response De Livera had said there was no prohibition to arrest Dissanayake and Jayaratne as the former’s fundamental rights application against his imminent arrest had been rejected by court on Wednesday morning.  

On 5 July the AG directed the Acting IGP to immediately arrest and produce in court eight suspects, including Avant Garde Maritime Services Ltd. (AGMS) Chairman Nissanka Yapa Senadhipathi. 

The others named in the letter sent to the Acting IGP are Major General (Rtd.) Waduge Palitha Piyasiri Fernando, Major General (Rtd.) Karunaratna Banda Adhikari Egodawele, Rtd. Commodore Vishvajith Nandana Diyabalanage, National Police Commission Secretary and Ministry of Defence former Senior Additional Secretary Saman Dissanayake, Rtd. Air Vice Marshall P.B. Premachandra, Ministry of Defence former Senior Additional Secretary D.M.S. Damayanthi Jayaratne, and Rakna Lanka Chairman Victor Samaraweera.