Former Provincial Council member arrested

By Buddhika Kumarasiri

A former member of the Western Provincial Council was arrested yesterday (29) by the Western Province (South) Crime Investigation Division in connection with the murder of businessman Surendra Wasantha Perera alias Club Wasantha at a tattoo centre in Athurugiriya.   

Police arrested the 56 year old suspect during a raid on his house at School Lane, in Pinwatta off Panadura.   

The suspect, a former PC member is alleged to have provided accommodation at his house for 25 days to the gunman Sajith Priyantha De Silva alias ‘Podi Balaya’ and the driver Madusanka De Silva alias ‘Bahirawaya’ who transported the suspects.   

The suspected gunmen and the other individual had been arrested on Wednesday night (28) and the former Provincial Council member last morning, on information provided by the former under interrogation.   

Investigations revealed that he had provided accommodation to the two suspects on the request of a close confidante of the underworld gangster Kanjipani Imran who is said to be in hiding in a foreign country.   

However he told police that he came to know that the two men whom he provided accommodation were involved in the murder of Club Wasantha several days after the incident.   

A senior official of the Western Province (South) Crime Investigation Unit said 16 suspects have been arrested by now in connection with the murder. He said steps have been taken to further question the three suspects under detention orders.   

Western Province (South) Crime Investigation Division Team Eleven under IP Dinuka Weerasinha is conducting further investigations.