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| Sunday, 12 October 2003 |
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Father Abba Costa murder : CCD to seek AG's advice by JAYAMPATHY JAYASINGHE The Colombo Crime Division (CCD) will seek the advice of the Attorney General with regard to circumstantial evidence surrounding Father Abba Costa's murder. The case is pending before the Negombo Magistrate Court. The three suspects allegedly involved in the murder were produced before the Negombo Magistrate M. Boran last week and were remanded for a further period. CCD sources said they are investigating the disappearance of the main suspect from Negombo after the slaying of Father Costa. "The suspect slipped across to United Kingdom all of a sudden, leaving behind his business and was away for quite some time. He is also an accused in a previous murder and an attempted murder, which are pending before the Negombo High Courts," Police said. Meanwhile in a twist of events, a fortnight ago high drama was enacted on the Negombo -Colombo road at Kannuwana, Ja-Ela when Prison officials escorting the three murder suspects of Father Abba Costa to the Welikada prison spotted an unidentified Green Dolphin Van trailing their Vehicle Early that day, the three suspects were produced before the Negombo Magistrate, who remanded them for a further period and ordered the Passport of the main suspect Anthony alias Jackpot King be handed over to the police through his lawyer. The Prison officials escorting the suspects noticed the green Dolphin van, driven at a break neck speed trailing the prison vehicle all the way from Negombo. The driver of the van made several attempts to overtake the Prison vehicle but was not successful. Sensing imminent danger, the Prisons driver stepped on his accelerator and increased the speed believing that a group of underworld mercenaries were making a desperate attempt to abduct the prisoners at gun point or kill them. They also feared if the Dolphin van, if allowed to overtake would block their path. The prison driver accustomed to such happenings in the past, and concerned about the safety of the prisoners swerved his vehicle from side to side to prevent the Van from overtaking them. Several attempts made by the Dolphin driver to overtake the prison vehicle proved futile. But a short while later, much to the surprise of Prison officers, the van veered off and turned into Minuwangoda road. However they did not want to take a chance and believing that the van would take a circuitous route and re-emerge from some other point drove straight to Ja-Ela police station for safety. Meanwhile the Colombo Crime Division (CCD) alerted on the possible threat posed by the Dolphin van began a hunt for the vehicle. A few days later the detectives were able to trace the Green Dolphin to a company involved in the manufacture of rubber gloves in the free trade zone at Katunayake. Detectives grilled the driver and the marketing manager who travelled in the van and learnt that they were on a legitimate business trip to Colombo. The driver and the marketing manager were not aware that dangerous Prisoners were being escorted in the Prisons vehicle. The driver also denied any knowledge of causing obstruction to the Prison vehicle. After checking their bona fides, the police discharged them. Meanwhile in a further twist of events that day, while the suspects were being escorted to Colombo, an unidentified person had handed over a parcel to one of the prisoners with the approval of some Prison officers. Some persons who had witnessed the incident outside the Magistrate court, had complained to the police. Several Prison officials escorting the Prisoners were subsequently grilled by the detectives. Colombo Crime Division's, Director SSP, Sarath Lugoda said that it was a serious matter to allow a detainee to receive a parcel from an unidentified person. "Fortunately the parcel contained some clothing. But what if it contained a revolver or a hand grenade," he queried. He said the findings of the investigation would be forwarded to the Commissioner General of Prisons for necessary action. Meanwhile CCD detectives are also probing the conduct of the suspect Anthony, said the suspect returned to Sri Lanka on 11 May 1991 went into hiding in a bungalow of an estate superintendent at Rakwana. |
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