Colombo Chief Magistrate Gihan Pilapitiya today directed the CID to inform the court on November 18 if Minister S.B. Dissanayake was a suspect for an alleged antique theft from a house in Colombo.

A lawyer appeared today at the courts representing Dissanayake and said that a mudslinging campaign was being carried out against his client on the alleged theft of antiques worth Rs. 150 million.

The CID informed court that the investigations are being carried out for three years and the Attorney General has been notified of its findings. However, no suspects have been named regarding the incident, the CID said.

The house in question was donated to the University of Colombo several years ago. However, it was later found that the antiques in the house had disappeared. The owners had complained to the police, which launched an investigation.

Dissanayake was the Minister of Higher Education at the time of the alleged incident.