Assassination attempt on Gotabaya: Confession by main accused missing, High Court told

The original document containing the confession given to police by Ponnasami Karthigesu Sivaji, who is the main accused in the case filed over the assassination attempt on then Defence Ministry Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa at Pittala Junction in Kollupitiya, has gone missing. The attack killed three soldiers.

This revealed recently at the Colombo High Court when the case was taken up before High Court Judge Nawaratne Marasinghe as the Officers-in-Charge (OIC) of the Criminal Investigation Department’s Special Investigation Unit and the Grandpass Police were giving evidence.

It was revealed that the Sub Inspector who had taken down the confession had pasted it lawfully in the log book of senior officers. However, when the prosecution was preparing to present the confession as evidence, it was found that the original document was not available with the police archives.

Making submissions, the OIC of the Grandpass Police stated that log books are destroyed when they become outdated but that a note of it is made prior to the book being destroyed. However, no such note exists regarding the book’s destruction, he told court.

Additional Solicitor General Rohantha Abeysuriya, P.C. appearing for the prosecution, told court that since evidence has come to light that the relevant log book has been misplaced, he will take steps to consult the Attorney General and inform court as to the next step. 

By Ranjith Padmasiri