Court orders arrest of Duminda

Colombo additional magistrate Prasanna de Alwis yesterday issued an order to immediately arrest ruling party MP Duminda Silva in connection with the assassination of presidential advisor Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra and three others in early last month.

The order was issued to the special investigation unit of the Criminal Investigation Department.

After presenting the report on evidence to the court when the case was heard, the police had submitted the list of suspects. The police named 15 suspects in the list but MP Silva’s name was not included among them.

ASP Shani Abeysekara of the CID told the court there was not adequate evidence to arrest MP Silva.

However, considering the evidence placed before him, the additional magistrate has ordered the immediate arrest of the MP.

A gun battle between two groups of supporters of the ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) in Mulleriyawa on the local government election day , October 08 killed four people including the former ruling party legislator and presidential aide, Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra.

MP Duminda Silva, who was the monitoring MP of the Defence Ministry, was also critically injured with gunshot wounds to his head. He was taken abroad by his family earlier this month in a special charter flight for further treatment.

Currently the 36-year-old MP is believed to be receiving treatment in a hospital in Singapore.

A policeman who was serving as a security officer for the injured MP had been arrested and remanded after being identified as the person who shot Premachandra.

The Criminal Investigations Department is conducting comprehensive inquiries and the government has said the investigation would be impartial.

Main opposition United National Party (UNP) criticized the government for allowing the suspected lawmaker to go overseas for treatment. However the government said he did not need permission to leave since he was not named as a suspect.