Police handling of Rs. 17Mn found at President's house, undisciplined

COLOMBO (News 1st): The Police informed court today that the entire process which took place with regard to the sum of Rs. 17 million found at the President's residence on July 9th, up to the point of the sum being handed over to the Court, was undisciplined.

The Director of Police Special Investigation Unit, SSP D.S. Wickramasinghe informed the Fort Magistrate Court that he has informed the Inspector General of Police to take disciplinary action against all the officers involved in the incident.

SSP Wickramasinghe also informed the court that investigations revealed that Western Province Senior DIG Deshabandu Tennakoon had informed the Fort Police Station Commander through a phone call to hand over the sum of money to Public Security Minister Tiran Alles the next day.

Fort Magistrate Thilina Gamage ordered for the Telecommunication Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka and two telephone companies to provide the director of the Police Investigation Unit with the audio tapes and real-time conversations related to the phone call allegedly made to hand over the money.

Meanwhile, the records of the notes kept by the Fort Police Station Commander regarding the telephone call given by the Western Province Senior DIG Deshbandu Tennakoon were also submitted to the court today.

The Director of the Special Investigation Unit said that the Inspector General of Police submitted a report regarding the actions taken by the police officers from the time the money was handed over by the protestors, until it was handed over to the court.