TID chief transferred to make way for investigation into Presidential assassination claim

Colombo (News1st) - DIG Nalaka de Silva of the Police Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) has been transferred to the Police Information Technology Division with immediate effect. The temporary transfer order issued by IGP Pujith Jayasundara notes that the transfer has been made based on service requirements, under the authorization of the National Police Commission. At a media briefing held recently, an individual known as Namal Kumara from an organisation calling themselves the Anti Corruption Force, unveiled several alleged audio recordings of telephone conversations with DIG Nalaka de Silva. During this media briefing, Kumara claimed that there was a plot to assassinate the President and former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The Criminal Investigations Department has opened an investigation into these claims. The CID made submissions to Fort Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne today, permission was granted to obtain footage of the media briefing in question from various media outlets. The CID also reported to court the claims made by the individual known as Namal Kumara. CID Officers informed the court that in 2017, Namal Kumara had traveled to France and met with an individual representing the Karuna Amman faction, identified as Pushparaj. Kumara had informed the CID that this individual had proposed to pay the necessary funds if he was willing to join the latter in creating unrest in the Eastern Province. He says that he had agreed to the request and had subsequently lodged a complaint with the IGP, which the IGP, in turn, had referred to DIG Nalaka de Silva at the TID. Kumara had informed the CID that DIG de Silva had revealed the assassination plot to him, based on this friendship. Meanwhile, Saman Dissanayake, the Secretary of the National Police Commission said today that DIG Nalaka de Silva had been temporarily transferred until the conclusion of the investigation into him. The individual known as Namal Kumara was summoned to the CID once again this morning and was questioned until this evening. Meanwhile, a group including the wife of Amit Weerasingha, who was arrested on allegations of inciting unrest during the recent incident in Teldeniya, lodged a complaint with the National Police Commission today, based on the claims made by Namal Kumara.