The disappearance of 11 youths, ‘Navy Sampath’ further remanded

By Yoshitha Perera 

Former Lieutenant Commander, Chandana Prasad Hettiarachchi alias ‘Navy Sampath’, who was arrested over the charges of abduction and disappearance of 11 youths from Colombo in 2008 and 2009, was further remanded till December 4th by the Colombo Fort Magistrate, yesterday.   

When the case was taken up before Colombo Fort Magistrate Ranga Dissanayake, the CID informed the Magistrate that investigations related to the matter has been concluded and the Attorney-General has filed 668 charges against the suspects.   

Earlier, Deputy Solicitor General (DSG) Dileepa Peiris urged the Magistrate to issue notices on former Navy Commander Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda to appear in Court’s in connection with the matter.   

However, the Magistrate refused the DSG’s request stating that there is no provision in the law to issue a notice to Karannagoda to appear in the Court.   
The Magistrate directed the Court that the charges had been filed against Karannagoda under 296 provision of the penal code. “If the Magistrate would make such an order the next step is to remand the suspect and a Magistrate could not act above the Supreme Court’s decision,” Magistrate informed the Court earlier this month. 

 
Earlier the CID also informed the Court, Rajiv Naganadan, a victim from 11 missing youths, had contacted his mother after they disappeared and he had informed that they were with the intelligence personnel under former Navy Spokesman Commodore D.K.P. Dassanayake.   

The victim had also notified a number of a car was 8987 and later it was revealed that according to the investigations this particular car belonged to former Navy Spokesman Commodore, D.K.P. Dassanayake.  

The CID is continuing its investigations into the abduction and disappearance of 11 youths by an unknown group at Dehiwala, Battaramulla and Wattala in 2008 and 2009. Nine other former navy personnel including former Navy Spokesman D.K.P. Dassanayake were arrested in this connection and later released on bail.

The Magistrate directed the Court that the charges had been filed against Karannagoda under 296 provision of the penal code