Armed soldier at President’s event arrested

An Army Corporal who was allegedly armed with a weapon at a recent event attended by President Maithripala Sirisena in Agunukolapelessa has been arrested by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), police spokesman ASP Ruwan Gunasekara said.  

Police said that the arrested suspect was attached to Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s security detail.

According to resent media reports, the army corporal had attended the function with MP Namal Rajapaksa on April 25.

Sirisena was addressing the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) district organisation which was attended by the parliamentarian, who had said that the arrested Corporal was only carrying a bottle of water.

The suspect was arrested by the CID last night following extensive investigations carried out regarding the incident.

The police spokesman said that the suspect was remanded until May 12 after being produced before the Agunukolapelessa Magistrate.

“The CID started an investigation and a Corporal named Senaka Kumara has been arrested by the CID on May 2. He has now been remanded until May 12,” Gunasekera said.

This was the worst security breach involving a president since the then President Chandrika Kumaratunga was seriously injured in a suicide bomb attack blamed on the LTTE in December 1999.