The former Director of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is despised by the present government and he was arrested four months ago. The charges against him are related to illegal possession of firearms. There are suspicions on fabricated evidence related to the case but when a case is filed under Firearms Ordinance in Sri Lanka, the suspect has to stay in remand for a long time until bail is granted.
Sri Lanka Young Journalists' Association started a petition to Commissioner General of Prisons Sri Lanka and 6 others seeking the safety for Superintendent of Police Shani Abesekara who is suffering from COVID-19 while detained in prison.
The petition addresses Commissioner General of Prisons Sri Lanka Chandana Wickramaratne, Inspector General of Police - Sri Lanka, Dappula De Livera Attorney General, Human Rights Commission, Director-General of Health, State Minister of Prison Reforms and Prisoners' Rehabilitation Minister of Public Security also.
Shani Abesekara was transferred from Mahara prison to Welikada prison claiming he had contracted COVID-19. On November 26th, he was transferred to Gallella quarantine centre in Polonnaruwa which has a low level of facilities. He was transferred to Welikanda hospital due to a heart attack last night. Bringing him back to Colombo means back to back transport of a patient over 500 kilometres on roads unnecessarily within 48 hours.
The online petition says that SP Shani Abesekara is an official who supervised investigations on controversial cases like the assassination of school student Vidya in Jaffna, double murder at Angulana, Royal Park murder, suicide attack against Defense Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa at Piththala Junction, Easter Sunday attack, President Maithripala Sirisena assassination attempt and murder of Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra.
Sign the petition (language Sinhala) >>
