Child abuser ‘Devala Kapuwa’ further remanded
Galle Magistrate Pavithra Sanjeewani Pathirana ordered to further remand Wesley Keerthi Kumara (44), the custodian ‘Kapuwa’ of the Batagoda Satara Maha Devala in Unawatuna until September 20.
The Magistrate further ordered to allow the three minors who had been allegedly abused and who are in the protection of Department of Probation and Child Care Services to be handed to the custody of the respective parents on Security Bonds of Rs. 200,000 each and to issue a probation order.
The suspect custodian of the Devala who is detained at Angunakolapelessa prison was not produced before Court due to security concerns. He was arrested and produced before court by the Criminal Investigations Department on August 10.
The suspect had been allegedly abusing minors and selling them on video to foreign countries. The suspect was arrested by the Computer Crimes Division of the Criminal Investigation Department and subsequently produced before courts.
Investigations also revealed that the suspect had had spent large sums of money and bought them computer related appliances.
In prosecution Criminal Investigation Department officers handling the complaint, submitted to court that the suspect did not support the investigations stating that he could not remember anything whenever he is interrogated over past incidents.
Criminal Investigation Department officers further submitted the court that they had checked a hotel and a house belonging to him in Athurigiriya where the suspect had allegedly abused the children, however the suspect did not cooperate with the investigation saying that he did not remember all alleged cases.They also told the court that except for a few minors, all the other children are in the ages of 16, 17 and 18 years. It has been also disclosed that the suspect had bought the abused children foot bicycles and compute appliances.
In winding up their submissions, the CID officials said that investigations into the incident were still going on and objected bail to the suspect as his release would be a threat to witnesses.
The Criminal Investigation Department also requested to issue an order to present the suspect to the Forensic Psychiatrist at the Mulleriyawa Hospital and obtain a report.
Meanwhile, during the trial it was revealed that the suspect ‘Kapuwa” was said to have been awarded a Doctorate by the Commonwealth Peace University of America in 2021. Due to the Corona epidemic situation, a delegation from that university had come to Sri Lanka and conferred the doctorate at the Bandaranaike International Conference Hall in Colombo.
Defence lawyers said that nothing had happened as alleged in the complaint. As the suspect is currently in remand prison for 24 days and the police have completed the investigation, the lawyers demanded that the suspect be granted bail under any bail conditions.
In consideration of the submissions of both parties, the magistrate allowed submission by the Criminal Investigation Department and ordered the suspect to be remanded till the 20th.