Vaas wants intimidation case mediated

Ex-DIG Vaas Gunawardena, who is alleged to have threatened three CID officers when being questioned in connection with the killing of businessman Mohamed Shayam has requested that the matter be resolved through mediation, the ex-DIG’s counsel told Court today.

Counsel Thusitha Gunawardena appearing for Vaas Gunawrdena told Colombo High Court Judge Devika Tennakoon that Senior Counsel Ananda Hettiarachchi had already spoken to the Attorney General about this request and was awaiting his consent.

State Counsel Thusith Mudalige who appeared for the AG told Court that he had not received any instructions and sought time to obtain a decision on this matter. He said it was earlier handled by State Counsel Chaminda Atukorale.

The Judge postponed the case for May 30 and reserved that date to either take up the case for trial or for mediation.

Mr Gunawardena is alleged to have threatened CID ASP Shani Abeysekera, OIC Ranjith Munasinghe and IP Lalitha Dissanayake of the Special Investigation Unit while they were questioning him over the killing of the millionaire businessman.

The CID officers complained that the ex-DIG had threatened them saying, “Shani, I am a murderer; you won’t be able to keep me inside forever, see what I will do to all of you when I am out.”(T. Farook Thajudeen)