Former DIG Vaas Gunawardena’s written statement on the alleged extortion of Rs.3 million from ‘Singapore Sarath’, who is a state witness in the Hasitha Madawala murder case, was today referred to the Attorney General by Mahara Magistrate Dharshika Wimalasiri.

In this case the former DIG is alleged to have extorted the money from Singapore Sarath who was a former secretary of Minister Mervyn Silva and arrested in connection with the killing of Hasitha Madawala.

Vaas Gunawardena was re remanded till September 16.

At the hearing the CID’s special unit OIC Inspector Ranjith Munasinghe submitted a detailed report on the progress of the investigations. He told Court a friend of Vass Gunawardene had threatened  Nishantha, a witness in this case, saying he would be dealt with for giving evidence against Gunawardene.

Police had traced the caller to a private telephone booth in Siyambalape. A similar incident had been reported from the office of Gunawardene in Peliyagoda.

The Inspector said extracts of the reports had been sent to the Attorney General as well and objected to the suspect being granted bail because investigations have not been completed.(Dasun Rajapaksa and Ganidu Rochana Samaratunga)