A coordinating secretary to Cooperatives and Internal Trade Minister Johnston Fernando was yesterday noticed to appear in Court on June 30, after Slave Island police informed Court that the fingerprints obtained from the scene of a crime at the Sathosa building matched the fingerprints of the coordinating secretary.
There was a fire at the Sathosa building on July 31, 2013. Prior to this, in 2012, the Slave Island police had received a complaint from an Additional Secretary attached to the Cooperative Wholesale Establishment (CWE) alleging that someone had damaged a glass door of the Finance and Accounting Office on the sixth floor of the Sathosa building.
Filing a further investigation report before Colombo Fort Magistrate Thilina Gamage, the Slave Island police said they had forwarded three fingerprints lifted from the scene to the Police fingerprint office for a report. Police said the three fingerprints had matched those of Don Peter J. Nanayakkara whose fingerprints had been recorded over a previous case. Police said they suspected that Nanayakkara had committed the crime and moved Court to issue notice on him to appear in Court.
The Magistrate, accordingly, ordered that the suspect to appear in Court on June 30.
Police believe the crime was committed on or around October 26, 2012.
Police said the act was a punishable offence under section 410 of the Penal Code.
Inspector Nalaka Gunasekara, OIC crimes, Slave Island police prosecuted.
(Lakmal Sooriyagoda)
