• CID summons ‘aragalaya’ activist Shehan Malaka over storming PM’s Office and Ranil’s house

BY Buddhika Samaraweera   Activist Dhaniz Ali, who was arrested and then remanded for allegedly entering the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC) premises in Colombo 7, and interfering with its broadcasting during the public protests that demanded the resignation of then-Prime Minister and Acting President and incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe on 13 July, was released on bail yesterday (15). The suspect was produced before Colombo Chief Magistrate Nandana Amarasinghe yesterday, after which he was released on a personal bail of Rs. 50,000, and a cash bail of Rs. 25,000. Granting bail to the suspect, the Chief Magistrate ruled that adequate submissions had not been presented for the suspect to be remanded further under the Offences against Public Property Act. The suspect was also ordered to record a statement with the Cinnamon Garden Police. Ali, who was produced before Amarasinghe on 1 August, was further remanded until yesterday. When the suspect was produced before the Court on that day, the Cinnamon Garden Police, informing that a large number of people had attempted to enter the SLRC premises on 13 July, requested the court to present the suspect for an identification parade. However, the Chief Magistrate stated that there was no need for the suspect to be produced for an identification parade as he was arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in public. Following the massive protests held in Colombo on 9 July demanding the resignation of then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the latter left the country. He had appointed then-Premier Wickremesinghe as Acting President, after which a protest was staged in front of the Premier's Office at Flower Road in Colombo 3 on 13 July. During the protest, a group of persons had entered the SLRC premises. Due to the incident, the State-owned channel went off air for some time. Ali, who is alleged to have entered the SLRC and interfered with its broadcasting, was arrested by the CID on 26 July, when he was onboard a flight to Dubai, UAE. Meanwhile, the CID summoned active “aragalaya” (struggle) member Shehan Malaka, to reportedly record a statement today (16) in connection with protestors storming the Prime Minister’s Office in Colombo and President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s private residence in Fifth Lane, Colombo 3. According to his lawyers, the statement would be recorded regarding protestors storming the Premier’s Office and Wickremesinghe's personal residence. He was also called to the CID earlier with regard to comments made to the media on the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks. Malaka had been outspoken over the investigations into the Easter attacks, claiming that it was a political conspiracy, and had called on the Government to investigate it.