Steps were taken yesterday (21) to produce suspect Kalumini Ravindu Sankha de Silva alias Booru Moona, who was ordered to be detained for a period of 90 days under the Prevention of Terrorism Act, before Chief Magistrate Thanuja Jayasinghe, the Chief Magistrate of the Nugegoda Court to be examined and observation notes to be taken.
The Magistrate had done this according to a notification made by the Western Province Southern District Crime Division regarding the suspect.
A police officer said that after informing the court that the Defence Minister had granted permission to detain and interrogate the suspect Booru Moona under the Prevention of Terrorism Act until June 20, a police officer said that the suspect was sent for observation to the magistrate. The officer said that facts were also reported to the Avissawella court regarding the Detention Order(DO).
The suspect Booru Moona is currently being detained in a special cell of the police belonging to the Nugegoda Police Division and two police officers with firearms have been deployed for security, a senior police officer said.
After the suspect was arrested by the police in Avissawella area on the 17 March, a 72-hour detention order was obtained and during further investigations, it had been discovered as a result of details provided that a stock of C4 type high-powered explosives was hidden under a telephone pole in Hanwella Dasa Wella area.
Detention orders were obtained after the investigation revealed that the suspect had been involved with terrorist groups and had been dealing in firearms and explosives and had acted in a way that violated public order and threatened and hindered the normal life of the people as well as national security.
Subsequent to the revelation that Booru Moona who escaped from the Katunayake Airport Police on 24 February had stayed in a hotel in Negombo for two days and then in a house in Tirappane, a disabled corporal who had provided him with accommodation had been summoned by the Western Province Southern District Crimes Division yesterday (21) and statements had been obtained from him.
During the statement made by the Corporal it had been revealed that Booru Moona had been provided with protection at the house in Tirappane through a person named Gagana, an organized criminal who is hiding in Dubai, and had been resident at Homagama Kiriwattuduwa Blanketwatte.
The corporal also revealed that Gagana told the residents of the house that some friends would be coming there on their way to Jaffna on a trip in a few days’ time and until then he had requested that accommodation be provided. The suspect is to be interrogated at length.
A team of police officers including Officer-In-Charge Inspector of Police Sumith Jayasinghe, Inspector of Police Hemantha Kumara and Police Sergeant 40248 Prasanna are conducting
investigations on the instructions of SSP Lalith Abeysekera and Western Province Southern District Crime Division Director SP Chandana Gamage.