21 December 2022 03:06 pm
The investigation into the murder of businessman Dinesh Schaffter is making progress and the CID and the Borella Police have questioned nearly 50 people so far over the murder.
Meanwhile, it is reported that the CID had begun recording statements for the second time from certain persons based on the evidence received.
Police Spokesman SSP Nihal Thalduwa said that in addition to the statements from Dinesh Schaffter's wife, the CID had recorded statements from 41 people including Schaffter’s business partners, close relatives and others while the Borella Police had recorded statements from 8 people.
He said the CID had obtained telephone details of several individuals over the investigation. Earlier, the court had allowed the police to obtain telephone records of certain people.
SSP Thalduwa said the CID can also obtain telephone records of individuals without a court order.
Accordingly, those telephone details are being analyzed at the moment.
He said several teams are investigating various fields to identify a suspect. However, he said the CID is yet to make an arrest or identify a suspect over direct involvement with the murder despite several media reports claiming that there could be a close associate behind the murder.
“At the moment there is no revelation about direct involvement by a close associate to the murder. But we can only say that the investigators are paying close attention to each person close to Dinesh Schaffter whether or not he/she is a close associate of him,” the spokesman said.
When inquired about reports that there are some contradictions over the statements by Schaffter’s wife and his secretary, the spokesman said if there are such contradictions, that information cannot be revealed to the media. “Certain information is only reported to the court," he said.
Meanwhile it is also reported that more attention has been paid to the places where Dinesh Schaffter usually travelled without bodyguards.
On the day of his murder, Dinesh Schaffter was traveling from Flower Road to Borella Cemetery, and the investigative teams had reportedly focused on the restaurant on Mallalasekara Mawatha where he stopped to buy snacks.
Police sources said that all the business dealings of Schaffter are being extensively analysed and the people with whom he had business relations are also being investigated. (Darshana Sanjeewa Balasuriya)