CID begins probe on protest site attacks; complaint calls for arrests

Criminal Investigation Department is recording statements from activists who were outside Temple Trees and at the Galle Face Green “Gotagogama” protest site on May 9.

The CID began recording statements on Friday. It has obtained statements from victims and eyewitnesses when goons brought in buses from provinces to a Temple Trees meeting attacked the protesters.

Police Media Spokesman SSP Nihal Thalduwa said the CID had recorded statements from the former Prime Minister’s security division officers and other officials, including the coordinator of the Temple Trees meeting and the officer-in-charge (OIC) of the Kollupitiya Police Station.

Meanwhile, the Trade Union Coordinating Centre on Friday lodged a complaint to Police Chief C.D. Wickramaratne, naming fourteen senior officers, and called for their arrest.

In the police complaint, the trade union collective mentioned that it had been four days since pro-government supporters attacked unarmed civilians who were peacefully protesting at “Gotagogama' and “Mainagogama” on May 9 but the Police had still failed to arrest the people who carried out the attack and those who took part in mob attacks after that.

On Thursday, the Fort Magistrate imposed a travel ban on former prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and 16 others, including several former ministers, following a complaint which accused them of being responsible for the attack on peaceful protesters.

Accordingly, the travel ban will apply to Johnston Fernando, Pavithra Wanniarachchi, Sanjeewa Edirimanne, Kanchana Jayaratne, Rohitha Abeygunawardena, CB Ratnayake, Sampath Athukorala, Renuka Perera, Sanath Nishantha, Senior DIG Deshabandu Thennakoon among others.