ASP says suspected political influence in Mawanella probe

Kegalle ASP Kamal Perera, testifying before the Easter Sunday blast Commission yesterday said that he now suspected that there was political influence into the investigations carried out over vandalizing Buddha statues at Mawanella in 2018.

He said during the investigation he had noticed that details of the investigation had been circulated to outside sources through politicians.

The Commissioners questioned the witness on a phone conversation that took place between former Western Province Governor Azath Salley and the Police and why the witness had instructed Kegalle ASP Gamini Thennekoon to disconnect the particular phone conversation.

Responding to the question, the witness said that he asked to disconnect the conference phone conversation between Police and Salley because he noticed that Salley was trying to extract information from the police without providing any factual information to them.

Earlier, IGP Pujith Jayasundara, who has been sent on compulsory leave, informed the Commission that former Western Province Governor Azath Salley had contacted him over vandalizing Buddha statues in Mawanella and said that he wanted to provide details of the two suspects in connection with the incident.

When the Commissioners questioned the witness about handing over the Mawanella investigation to the CID, the witness said that on December 26, 2018 former CID Director Shani Abeysekara came to Mawanella Police and inquired about the investigation.

However, he said that Shani had told him to continue the investigation and the CID had provided officers for field inspection with the Police. (Yoshitha Perera)