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Statements of 65 CWE employees recorded
Police have recorded statements from 65 employees of the Ministry of Cooperatives and Internal Trade and the Cooperative Wholesale Establishment (CWE), following the Government Analyst’s (GA) Dept report that the fire at the Sathosa secretariat building was an act of arson, and not accidental.
According to the GA’s report, the fire had been set on purpose using highly inflammable material, Police Spokesman, SP Buddhika Siriwardena said. He further said that no suspects have been arrested yet, and the Criminal Investigation Department along with the Slave Island police are conducting further investigations. “We expect developments on the investigations in the coming weeks,” he said.
Meanwhile, CWE Chairman Eraj Fernando told the Sunday Times that he has requested the Inspector General of Police, in writing, to conduct a comprehensive investigation. “I was quite surprised by the GA’s report that it was an act of arson and not accidental,” he said.
Mr. Fernando added that the CWE is 5,600 square feet, and the seventh floor, consisting of the Chairman’s office, Board room and the Media office, was totally destroyed by the arson attack. “We were lucky to save the important documents on the fourth floor of the building, which had the administration, financial and other important records”, he said.
However, he said that the media unit of the Trade Ministry was badly affected in the fire, as the media briefings and the other media related documents to the trade ministry was damaged by the fire. He added that a four-member committee comprising of ministerial officials, has already been appointed by the Minister of Cooperatives and Internal Trade, Johnston Fernando. These officials are ascertaining the extent of the damage and the losses. Mr. Fernando said that the approximate loss caused by the fire has been estimated at Rs. 32 million.
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