IGP, former Defence Secy. further remanded till Jan. 20

By Yoshitha Perera 

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Pujith Jayasundara and former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando, who were arrested by the CID on the charges of criminal negligence and failure to prevent the Easter Sunday carnage despite prior warnings, were further remanded till January 20 by the Colombo Chief Magistrate. 

The Colombo Additional Magistrate delivered the order when both defendants were produced in court yesterday. 

When the case was taken up before Colombo Chief Magistrate Lanka Jayarathna, the CID informed that it would record statements from MPs Azath Salley and M.L.A.M. Hizbullah over the Easter bombings. It said statements from MPs Ruwan Wijewardene and Rishad Bathiudeen were recorded previously in connection with the dastardly terrorist attacks. 
Earlier, the Colombo High Court dismissed the bail granted to both suspects by the Colombo Magistrate’s Court on the grounds that the order contained serious legal errors and violated the law. Subsequently in September last year, they were arrested by the CID.