( Sajin De Vass Gunawardena being taken to remand prison)
Questioned by CID for over five hours.
UPFA Parliamentarian and one time External Affairs Ministry Monitoring MP Sajin De Vass Gunawardena was remanded untill May 20 by the Colombo Chief Magistrate.
He was arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department yesterday under provisions of the Offences Against of Public Property Act of 1982. Police Spokesman ASP Ruwan Gunasekera said Parliamentarian Gunawardena was summoned to the CID for questioning last morning over the alleged misuse of vehicles at Presidential Secretariat.
A team of CID officials questioned him for over five hours and recorded a lengthy statement. He was to be produced before court last evening. Sajin De Vass Gunawardena was allegedly responsible for the attack on former Sri Lankan High Commission in UK Dr. Chris Nonis in NewYork, following an argument and the Sri Lankan envoy tendered his resignation subsequently.
A case was also filed against him at the Commission to Investigate the Allegations of Bribery or Corruption over the financial irregularities that he was allegedly involved in the purchase of Aircraft and helicopters to Sri Lankan government the Commission impounded his passport as parts of investigations into these complaints.
Earlier, the CID sleuths questioned former Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga over the missing vehicles at the Presidential Secretariat. ASP Ruwan Gunasekera said Weeratunga was also questioned for about four hours about the missing vehilces and a statement was also recorded, The CID commenced the investigations into the missing vehicles on a complaint made by an official of the Presidential Secretariat and the Police initially sought public assistance to recover the vehicles.
A number of vehicles belonging to the Presidential Secretariat were found abandoned in a number of places and few officers who were using vehicles, handed them over voluntarily to the Police. Mirihana Police found 53 vehicles abandoned by the Presidential Secretariat at a yard in Pitakotte on Januray 25. Police also arrested former Presidential Secretariat Transport Director Keerthi S. P. Samarasinghe in February. Police said 18 vehicles including two luxury vehicles are still missing and seek public assistance to trace them.
– by Chaminda Perera CDN