Former CID Director Shani Abeysekara and Sub Inspector Sunil Mendis were today ordered to be released on bail by the Court of Appeal.
Each suspect was ordered to be released on a cash bail of Rs.25,000 with two sureties of one million rupees. The Controller General of Immigration and Emigrations was ordered to prevent the two suspects from leaving the country.
Court of Appeal two-judge-bench comprising Justice Nissanka Bandula Karunaratne and Justice R. Gurusinghe made this order following revision applications filed by the two police officers concerned, seeking an order to enlarge them on bail.
The Court of Appeal directed the Registrar to communicate this order to the Gampaha High Court and Magistrate’s Court.
Filing revision applications through their lawyers, the petitioners requested the Court of Appeal to revise and set aside Gampaha High Court’s order to refuse bail and sought an order to grant bail to the petitioners on any condition that the court shall seem fit. The Gampaha High Court had refused to grant bail on December 8, 2020.
The petitioners stated that in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic coupled with conditions prevailing in the prison system, their physical health, safety and their lives are at an aggravated risk if confined to remand and that they have already contracted COVID-19 while in remand and were fortunate to have survived it.
Shani Abeysekara was arrested by CCD for allegedly fabricating evidence in the murder of businessman Mohammed Shiyam in 2013, in which then DIG Vass Gunawardena and several others were sentenced to death for committing and conspiring to commit murder.
