Video: Suspect arrested over the murder of journo

2 February 2014 03:48 pm Views - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}} 35 Bookmark

A A A

A 39 year-old suspect was arrested, in connection with the murder of business journalist Mel Gunasekera..The arrest was made in Dompe at around 8.00 pm, within hours of the murder, police said.

Police also found a blackberry phone belonging Ms. Gunasekera in the suspect’s possession. The suspect had worked as the painter at Ms. Gunasekera’s house, Police Spokesman SSP Ajith Rohana said.

Police also found a Blackberry mobile phone owned by Ms. Gunasekera in suspect’s possession. The suspect had worked as a painter at Ms. Gunasekera’s house, Police Spokesman SSP Ajith Rohana said.

Initial investigation revealed that the suspect had worked at Ms. Gunasekera's house for several days and had found that there was usually nobody in the house on Sunday mornings as everyone went to church.

However, Ms. Gunasekera had not gone to the church today. The suspect had entered the house around 6am yesterday through the main door which had not been locked. According to the suspect’s statement, Ms. Gunasekera had seen him as soon as he had entered the house.

Then the panicked suspect had stabbed Ms. Gunasekera using two knives taken from the victim's house itself.

Although the suspect told police during the interrogation that he robbed only Rs. 1,200 and a mobile phone from the house, but police believe that the suspect had robbed more money from the house.

The police said that after committing the crime, the suspect had gone to Hanwella. At the time of his arrest at Dompe, the suspect was under influence of liquor.

Police said the scene of the suspect going into the house and leaving the house had been recorded in a CCTV camera of a nearby house.

Residents in the neighbourhood told the police that they heard screaming from the victim’s house in the morning. Further police investigations are being carried out.

Following the murder, a special investigation had been launched by six police teams.

Journalist Mel Gunasekera murdered