Foreign travel ban on Shani Abeysekara

The Nugegoda Magistrate’s Court today imposed an overseas travel ban on former Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Director SSP Shani Abeysekara following a request by Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) over the controversial telephone conversation between him and MP Ranjan Ramanayake.

When the case was taken up before Nugegoda Magistrate U.K. Palpola, the officials attached the CCD requested an order to issue a travel ban on former CID director who was interdicted on January 8. The CCD informed the Magistrate that there was an ongoing investigation into the controversial telephone conversation with MP Ranjan Ramanayake and it is vital to keep the former CID Director in the country.

Earlier, MP Ramanayake was arrested and remanded on January 4 by the police on charges of possessing a pistol without a valid licence but was later released on bail by the Nugegoda Magistrate.

However, it was revealed that several government MPs and top police officials had had telephone conversations with Mr. Ramanayake, who had requested them to arrest several individuals and had attempted to influence court proceedings. (Yoshitha Perera)