Rear Admiral Ananda Guruge ordered to give CID statement over abductions

COLOMBO (News1st): Fort Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne ordered Rear Admiral Ananda Guruge to provide a statement to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) on March 5. The naval officer is to provide a statement in the case pertaining to the white van abduction and disappearance of eleven youths in Colombo 2008. The magistrate also dismissed a request made by the counsel of the defendant, to remove the CID from the investigations into the incident. The magistrate pointed out that the court does not have the legal power to issue such an order. Court also rejected a request to grant bail to the 8th and 9th defendants of the case who are Navy Intelligence personnel,  and further remanded them until March 8. The magistrate dismissed the point raised by the defendant's counsel that there is no legal provision for murder charges to be filed against the two suspects. Furthermore, the magistrate ordered the seven suspects of the case including Former Navy Media Spokesperson D.K.P. Dassanayake who is currently released on bail, to appear before court on March 3. Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne ordered the CID to produce a case file for the next court hearing, if there are any more suspects to be arrested over the incident.