DIG Vaas Gunawardhana case:

CID takes over investigations

by Kurulu Koojana Kariyakarawana

Andra Vaas Patabendi Ganendra Gunawardhana alias Vaas Gunawardhana, the senior police officer who was blackmarked four years ago in an incident of abduction and assault of a student is again in the centre of a controversy with the abduction and murder of a businessman.

Then Senior Superintendent of Police and Director in charge of Colombo Crime Division was charged with allegations that student Nipuna Ramanayake was abducted on August 4, 2009 by his junior officers in a police vehicle and brought to his residence and assaulted by his wife and son.

Three Police Inspectors, a Sergeant and seven Police Constables who were taken into custody in connection with the abduction and assault were subsequently remanded along with the SSP’s wife, Shamalie Perera, in August 2009.

The SSP was transferred to Police Headquarters as a preliminary move of the investigations lead by then DIG Crimes Anura Senanayake under instructions of then IGP Jayantha Wickremeratne. This incident to light following a directive made by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to the police chief.

However with the time SSP Vaas Gunawardhana served in several areas countrywide including Ratnapura before he was promoted to the rank of Deputy Inspector General and appointed as the DIG in charge of Western Province North.

With the incident of the abduction and killing of millionaire businessman Mohammed Shiyam of Bambalapitiya the police have arrested four policemen other than the DIG and they were also found to be junior officers who were attached to his unit.

The seven suspects who were apprehended in connection with the abduction and murder have been identified as DIG Vaas Gunawardhana, Sub Inspector Lakmini Indika Bamunusinghe, Police Constables Andrage Sanath Chandra (51799) (former Sergeant), Ananda Pathiranage Piyaratna Sanjeewa (68656) and Disanayake Mudiyanselage Kelum Rangana Disanayake (61816) along with two civilians Mohamed Fowzudeen and Krishantha Koralage.

Constable Andrage Sanath Chandra who was a Sergeant attached to the CCD at the time of the abduction and assault of student Nipuna Ramanayake was demoted to the rank of Constable following his involvement in the case.

An inquiry commenced following the initial complaint lodged by Mohamed Fowzudeen at Bambalapitiya Police on May 22 that his friend Mohamed Asabdeen Mohamed Shyam was missing.

Meanwhile a senior politician personally known to the victim’s family had informed President Mahinda Rajapaksa about the incident. The President ordered a full probe into the matter. Director CCD, SSP D R L Ranaweera launched an inquiry into the missing businessman’s case.

In the meantime a body of an unidentified person with gunshot injuries had been found by Dompe Police in a remote area in Meepalawa on May 23 but not connection to the missing businessman was established.

According to CCD inside sources, Mohamed Shyam’s friend and business companion Mohamed Fowzudeen was summoned to record a statement over his missing friend. He was later taken into custody on May 28 on suspicion.

Pettah trader

Fowzudeen was interrogated at length by the CCD and his connection to a trader in Pettah, Krishantha Koralage came to light. The CCD immediately arrested him. He is reportedly engaged in importing ready made garments from China.

After he was questioned, the CCD sensed a link between the missing businessman and the body found in Dompe and further interrogation revealed that the two arrested persons were allegedly linked to the abduction and murder of Shiyam.

Following this revelation the businessman’s body was identified by his family members on May 31 at the Gampaha Hospital Mortuary.

A few days later the CCD arrested a police constable attached to Western Province North DIG’s office and when questioning him they realised several more policemen were involved in the case including a high ranking officer.

Following this revelation IGP N K Illangakoon ordered the Criminal Investigations Department to take over investigations. Moreover the CCD was not in a position to interrogate DIG Vaas Gunawardhana who was once their Director and had many loyal officers within.

The CID later arrested a Sub Inspector and two more Constables attached to the Western Province North DIG’s office on June 6. Along with their arrest DIG Vaas Gunawardhana was also summoned and questioned for several hours after which a statement was recorded.

On June 10 the DIG was again summoned and was questioned at length for over ten hours before he was arrested by the CID in connection with the abduction and murder of Shiyam.

CID ASP Shani Abeysekara who conducted the inquiries under the instructions of Director. CID SSP Mathurata sought a 72-hour Detention Order to further interrogate DIG Gunawardhana. However on June 13 the DIG was hospitalised due to deterioration in his health. He was admitted to Ward 42 of the National Hospital due to diabetics, hypertension and a heart condition. The DIG was then remanded until June 25 by Colombo Additional Magistrate Sahabdeen who ordered him to be kept in prison custody.

The CID informed Court that DIG Gunawardhana was taken into custody over aiding and abetting and conspiring to kill a person after abducting him and suppressing evidence. According to initial CID investigation that was reported to the court, Mohamed Fowzudeen had sought Krishantha Koralage’s assistance to retrieve Rs.40 million he had invested in Mohamed Shyam’s shoe manufacturing business. Krishantha had also owed

Krishantha had told the CID that Fowzudeen had said that if he was able to get back the Rs. 40 million from Shiyam, Krishantha could keep Rs. 8.5 million and give Rs. 10 million to Vaas Gunawardhana, from the money Koralage owed Fowzudeen.

The CID reported to the court that Krishantha had taken Fowzudeen to DIG Gunawardhana’s house in Nedimala on several occasions after Gunawardhana had allegedly agreed to undertake the task of retrieving the money from Shiyam. According to initial investigations Shiyam had left his house in Sagara Road in Bambalapitiya on May 22 with his friend Fowzudeen and had gone to his shoe factory in Saranankara Road. From there both of them had gone to Kandawatta area in Nugegoda to meet another person.

Krishantha had revealed to the CID that he had abducted Shiyam and put in to a double-cab after he was brought there by Fowzudeen on the pretext of discussing a business transaction. He was then reportedly taken to DIG Gunawardhana’s house following a telephone call received from him. There the DIG’s son Ravindu Gunawardhana and a Constable had got into the same van with firearms, the CID told Court. The CID have found that two vehicles were used in the abduction of Shiyam a van bearing the registration number WP CP 2855 and a double-cab bearing the number WP PD 4876. The police found two ropes, a piece of cloth and some hair in one of the vehicles which has been handed over to Government Analyst’s Department.

However the detectives are yet to ascertain the reason behind the killing of Shiyam by shooting to his head and dumping his naked body in a remote area. The detectives who interrogated the DIG have to face another issue. That is DIG Gunawardhana’s threats. He swore to deal with them when he was released from prison. The CID reported this to the court as well.

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Nipuna Ramanayake abducted and assaulted

Meanwhile, an application has been filed at the Appeal Court requesting the former Attorney General to justify his failure to indict the DIG for having allegedly assaulted and abducted a Malabe IT university student, Nipuna Ramanayake.

Nipuna who was a second year student at the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology in 2009 was abducted by a group of CCD police officers at gun point and was taken to DIG Vaas Gunawardhana’s house. He was brutally beaten by the cops, the DIG’s wife and his son before being released.

Nipuna had an argument with DIG’s son Ravindu Gunawardhana, a student of the same batch, which resulted in the abduction and assault which drew much controversy at that time.

Nipuna who sustained serious injuries was hospitalised for days whereas the special police investigation into the case lead to the removal of DIG Gunawardhana from his position as Director CCD.

14 suspects including 11 policemen along with the wife and son of DIG Gunawardhana were remanded following the incident but DIG Vaas Gunawardhana was never remanded.

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