Ex-unionist, consumer activist remanded over PUCSL threats

• Remanded till tomorrow for alleged threat, obstruction of duties, coercion     

The Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court yesterday (24) ordered to remand trade union activist and former Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) employee Ananda Palitha and Electricity Consumers’ Association (ECA) Secretary Sanjeewa Dhammika until tomorrow (26) for allegedly threatening two members of the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) and obstructing their duties.

The duo were arrested by the Kollupitiya Police last morning for allegedly threatening two members of the PUCSL, namely, Mohan Samaranayake and Deputy Chairman Udeni Wickramasinghe, and obstructing their duties. Police Media Spokesman, Senior Superintendent of Police, and Attorney-at-Law Nihal Thalduwa told the media that they were arrested on charges of criminal coercion.

Dhammika and Palitha were produced before Colombo Fort Magistrate Thilina Gamage by the Kollupitiya Police last afternoon. The Magistrate ordered that they be remanded until tomorrow. He also ordered the relevant Superintendent of Prisons to produce Dhammika for an identification parade.

The Police had initiated investigations into alleged threats received by Samaranayake and Wickramasinghe at the PUCSL premises on 20 January, following a complaint which had been lodged by the duo. Following the incident, Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekera said that he would request the Public Security Ministry to conduct an investigation into the incident and to provide Samaranayake and Wickramasinghe with security. However, Public Security Minister Tiran Alles told The Daily Morning on 22 January that the provision of security for them would be considered only after the conclusion of the relevant Police investigations.