News
Police guard remains while case still remains a mystery
Nearly two months after the private residence of Excise Commissioner- D.G.M.V. Hapuarachchi was shot up by unidentified gunmen, the police are yet to make a breakthrough in their investigations. Mr Happuaarchchi told the Sunday Times that investigators were yet to inform him of any progess in their probe, adding that, however, the police guard posted at his residence in Pamunugama, Jaela, shortly after the incident, continues to remain.
He also added that, since the March 6 pre-dawn attack, there had been no threats or intimidation from any quarter, but the incident remained a mystery.
The attack took place at a time Mr Happuaarachchi had launched a random audit on 10 Distillery companies to probe fraud and tax evasion.
Mr. Happuaarachchi said that many of the smaller Distillery companies were known to be in the red, with millions of rupees owed to State coffers, which prompted the random audit check.
Mr. Hapuarachchi suspects the attack was linked to the audit check, as he has no known enemies, and was hopeful the police would apprehend those behind the incident.
A similar attack was also carried out on the residence of another Excise Officer in Rukmalgama, Kottawa, on the same day, apparently to mislead investigators.
“This officer was not involved in the audits. The attack on his residence was mainly to distract the investigators. It is clear that the prime target was myself,” he said.
Meanwhile, a senior police official said yesterday that the statements of 15 persons had been recorded in this connection, while conceding that a breakthrough was yet to be made. He said that investigators had also analysed telephone calls in the Commissioner’s neighbourhood that were taken around the time of the incident.
“Apart from this, there has been no breakthrough, and the motive for the incidents is yet to be established,” the official said.