Former Senior DIG of Crime and Criminal Intelligence, H.M.G.B. Kotakadeniya who appeared before the Presidential Commission inquiring into the Police raid on the Safe House at the Athurugiriya Millennium City yesterday said that irresponsible actions among the Police hierarchy had created this unwarranted situation.
Kotakadeniya said that if he had conducted the raid, he would have obtained the search warrant from the Teldeniya Magistrate and would have proceeded with the inquiry at the Safe House. Besides if I found the legitimacy of the Safe House, I would have informed the Magistrate without resorting to another offence, he said.
Former Judge of Court of Appeal D. Jayawickrema presided the Commission. Giving further evidence, the DIG said he was summoned by the Minister of Interior to carry out a separate inquiry in addition to the investigation carried out by ASP Udugampola. Since it was a matter of security, he had asked for CID assistance for the investigation.
Accordingly, a special team headed by SSP S.L.M. Samarathunga of CID was appointed by the Minister. When the question was raised by the judge about the necessity of two separate inquiries, the DIG said that, there were allegations against ASP Udugampola for being incompetent.
Answering the question raised by the judge whether the DIG was aware of a conspiracy theory behind the Safe House to assassinate the Prime Minister, he said that it was not known until the media alleged that there was such an attempt.
The senior DIG also blamed the Police for not taking any disciplinary action against ASP Udugampola , although Kotakadeniya had complained to the IGP stating that the ASP had acted in a malicious manner to bring the Army into disrepute.
The evidence was led by the State Counsel, Riyaz Hamza.
