Former Army Chief of Staff remanded once again

COLOMBO (News 1st) - Former Chief of Staff of the Army, Retired Major General Amal Karunasekara who was arrested over the abduction and assault of Journalist Keith Noyahr was returned to remand custody today (June 26). When the case was taken up in court today, Amal Karunasekara - the 08th suspect in the case was not produced in court by the Department of Prisons. The Prison Officers had produced a medical report on behalf of the suspect. Senior State Counsel Lakmini Girihagama who led the prosecution requested the court to deny bail for the suspects. Attorney at Law Shehan Silva, appearing for the suspect said his client had been in remand for almost three months and requested he that he be released on bail. Mount Lavinia Additional Magistrate Lochana Abeywickrama Weerasinghe who took note of the submissions from both sides, decided to remand the suspect until the 10th of July. While inquiries had been made from Military Intelligence regarding information which had not come to light previously regarding the abduction of Keith Noyahr and the torture he was subject to at a safe house in Baduwaththa, Dompe, the CID had been informed that such information cannot be divulged on grounds of national security. Prior to the hearing of the complaint today, the Additional Magistrate of the Mount Lavinia Magistrate's Court met with the Director of Military Intelligence, the CID and the State Council. Our reporter noted that the closed-door discussion lasted more than an hour.