CID Informs Court It Would Question Wijegunaratne Upon His Return: CDS Office Seeks Another Date For Statement

September 12, 2018

The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) informed Colombo Fort Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne that they would question Chief of Defence Staff Ravindra Wijegunaratne upon his return to Sri Lanka. 

It was revealed that Admiraj Woijegunaratne's office had contacted the CID and asked for another date to give his statement. 

Wijegunaratne left for Mexico earlier this week, hours before he was expected to give a statement to the CID on the murders of 11 Tamil youth. 

The Chief of Defence Staff office told media Wijegunaratne left for Mexico on a 'government assignment' and he would take part in the Mexican national day representing the government. 

There is also a possibility that Wijegunaratne, the senior-most military officer, may be arrested if and when he appears before the CID. 

The Fort Magistrate previously permitted the CID to arrest Wijegunaratne if there was suffifient evidence to suggest his involvement in the incident. 

It is not entirely clear as to when the Chief of Defence Staff is sheducled to return to the country from Mexico. 

Wijegunaratne is to be questioned on whether he helped ex-Navy officer Chandana Hettiarachchi alias Navy Sampath - the main suspect in the abductions and murders of 11 youth -  to flee to Malaysia to avoid Police arrest.