(former Narahenpita Crimes OIC Sumith Champika Perera)
In a statement to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), former Narahenpita Crimes OIC Sumith Champika Perera told that he received instructions from higher ranking police officers not to conduct further investigations in connection with the murder of former rugby player Wasim Thajudeen. Filing a report in the Colombo Magistrate’s Court, the CID said its detectives were able to record a statement from the former Narahenpita
Crimes OIC Sumith Champika Perera prior to his arrest for allegedly covering up evidence in connection with the murder of Wasim Thajudeen.
The former Narahenpita Crimes OIC has further told CID that he was compelled to conduct investigations, being predetermined that the death of Wasim Thajudeen was due to an accident on the instructions of higher ranking police officers.
According to the ‘B’ Report filed by CID, the former Crimes OIC will have to face several charges including committing the murder which comes under Section 296 of the Penal Code, fabricating false evidence, Concealing a design to commit an offence and Causing disappearance of evidence of an offence committed.
Former Narahenpita Crimes OIC arrested for allegedly covering up evidence was ordered to be remanded till May 5 by Colombo Additional Magistrate Thilina Gamage on Thursday (21).
On July 27, 2015 the CID submitted to Court that the death of Thajudeen was not an accident but a murder.
While delivering the verdict, Colombo Additional Magistrate Nishantha Peiris on February 25 this year ruled that the death appeared to be a murder and ordered the CID Director to immediately arrest all suspects involved in the incident and produce them before Courts.
Thajudeen was killed, apparently, in a road accident in Colombo in May 2012. The CID had informed court that investigations conducted so far had revealed that Thajudeen’s teeth had been broken, the bones in the pelvic region also broken and his neck pierced with a sharp instrument prior to his death.
The CID added that muscles in his legs had been cut with a piece of a broken glass. Earlier, police maintained that Thajudeen was driving to the airport and had lost control of his car and crashed into the wall of Shalika Grounds at Park Road, Narahenpita, and that his vehicle had exploded within seconds of the crash.
Lakmal Sooriyagoda / DN