7 October 2020 04:27 am
MP Rishad Bathiudeen's brother was released because of insufficient evidence to prove he was directly linked to acts of terrorism, Minister Chamal Rajapaksa said yesterday.
He told Parliament that investigations into allegations against him were not completed and he would be re-arrested and be subjected to legal action in the case of fresh evidence cropping up.
The minister said this in response to a question asked by Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Chaminda Wijesiri on the release of the suspect.
He said the government was in no way involved in the suspect's release and was carried out by the police having followed the normal procedure in such a case.
"The suspect was arrested on April 17, 2020 under the Prevention of Terrorism Act and detained for some six months in connection with the telephone calls he had made to Insaf Ahamed, the suicide bomber who blew himself up at the Cinnamon Grand hotel. Investigations have revealed that the calls had been made using the ministry's telephone and none of them were connected to terrorist activities or any bomb explosion. The last telephone call was taken three months before the bomb attack," the minister said.
He said suspects were released if there was insufficient evidence while court cases had been filed against some of the suspects.
When it was mentioned that police spokesman’s media statement was contradictory, the minister said it was not a proper to make such a statement.
“They also try to carry out media stunts just like politicians. We will look into his statement,” he said. (Ajith Siriwardana and Yohan Perera)