The bank accounts of the BIA Police OIC and other officers who are accused of aiding and abetting a wanted criminal involved in 19 murders escape the country would be inspected, Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of the Western Province, Deshabandu Tennakoon, said.
The suspect was arrested at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), Katunayake. However, the police officers are accused of helping him escape the country.
It is suspected that following the release of the suspect Koralekankanamlage Ravindu Warnasinghe alias Buru Moona from the police custody, a transaction of around 15 million rupees has taken place.
The suspect, who attempted to travel abroad with a fake passport despite having a flight ban, was arrested by the immigration officials at the BIA and was handed over to the airport police at around 6 pm on the 24th.
This suspect, who was handed over to the police, was detained in the police cell until that night. Meanwhile, three persons appeared to be Buddhist monks have arrived at the police station and discussed with the OIC about his release.
They have told the OIC to remove the handcuffs of the suspect so that he can have his dinner.
The OIC had then instructed the officer in charge of the police cell to remove the suspect’s handcuffs and take him out of the cell.
The monks had left the police station saying that they would return with food. One of them had invited the officer who was on duty to come out of the police station to give him a bottle of whiskey.
When the police officer went outside to get the bottle of whiskey, the suspect had escaped the police station and had run away by pushing the police officers away.
The suspect had fled towards Chilaw in a yellow Aqua car and it is suspected that he had escaped to India by boat from Chilaw.
A senior police officer said that there is serious doubts regarding the escape of the suspect and that information has been received about a money transaction of 15 million rupees surrounding this incident.
The escaped suspect has been identified as the main suspect in the shooting to death of a restaurant owner at the Mosque Road in Hanwella on December 18, 2022.
The officers who investigated into this murder had come across a photo of the suspect’s passport.
Later, a flight ban was obtained from the Awissawella Magistrate’s Court against the suspect.
The suspect was arrested when he arrived at the BIA without knowing that a flight ban had been imposed on him.
Katunayake OIC Janaka Senadheera, Duty Sergeant Senaratne, Constables Rathnayake and Kumara were arrested on charges of aiding and abetting the escape of the suspect arrested by the police.
Three of the arrested officers, except the Duty Sergeant, were released after being produced in the Negombo Magistrate’s Court.
Investigations have revealed that one of the Buddhist monks who helped the criminal escape has been identified as a monk residing at a temple in Hettipola under the protection of the underworld .
