Fmr. SPC chairman remanded till Jan.6

• He is alleged to have provided the money to pay the first two suspects
• He had gone into hiding since Sunday
• Suspects revealed they had agreed to participate in the news conference on a Rs.3 million bond

By Yoshitha Perera 

Former Chairman of the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation (SPC), Mohammed Rumy Mohamed, who surrendered to the CID in connection with the ‘white-van’ news conference held prior to the 2019 presidential election, was remanded till January 6 by the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court.   

When the case was taken up before the Colombo Additional Magistrate Shalini Perera, Deputy Solicitor General Dileepa Peiris appearing for the Attorney General’s Department said the suspect was arrested as the fourth suspect in the case and alleged that he had given money to the first and the second suspects.   

He said the suspect was in hiding since last Sunday. 

 
“This suspect was the main supporter who had provided financial support to the first and the second suspects in the case. The statements recorded by the first two suspects revealed that they had agreed to participate in the news conference on a Rs.3 million bond. But later reduced it to Rs.2 million,” he informed the court.   

However, Counsel Anura Senaviratne, appearing for Mr. Mohamed denied this allegation and requested the Magistrate to grant bail to his client. After hearing the submissions, the Magistrate observed that since the investigation was in the initial stages, she was unable to grant the bail to the suspect.   

• According to the DSG he was the main supporter who had provided the funds to the first and the second suspects in the case
• Bail was refused on the basis that the investigations were continuing

Pix by Damith Wickramasinghe