Millennium City raid witness docs misplaced

Millennium City Safe House Raid : Witness statements misplaced

by Zulfick Farzan 25-09-2020 | 5:21 PM

Colombo (News 1st); Witness statements of the prosecution with regard to the 2002 Sri Lanka Police and Police Special Task Force raid on a safe house at the Millennium City housing complex have been misplaced, it was reported in Court on Friday (25).

Several other documents were also damaged as they were not placed in a proper manner.

The case was called up in the presence of Colombo High Court Judge Aditya Patabendige and he immediately ordered the court registrar to submit a report as to why documents were not placed in a proper manner when the court had ordered for the documents to be sealed and place in a safe.

The case taken up on Friday (25) was filed against Former Assistant Superintendent of Police Kulasiri Udugampola for raiding the Army safe house at Athurugiriya on 02 January 2002.

Retired Major General Kapila Hendawitharana, the former Director of Military Intelligence (DMI) testified in court on Friday (25).

In the cross-examination conducted by defense counsel Saliya Peiris PC, the witness said a group including the defendant had carried out the raid on the safe house, without any court order.

The witness said it is his opinion that several officers from the Sri Lanka Corps Of Military Police of the Sri Lanka Army were also involved in the raid which was carried out in a conspiratorial manner.

The former Director of Military Intelligence (DMI) further said following the raid a certain faction had added a haul of illegal weapons to the cache discovered at the safe house.

The witness further said he was aware the house was leased to the Sri Lanka Army by the wife of the Captain who was in charge of the house.