Shani Abeysekera demands compensation of Rs. 1bn over ‘wrongful arrest’

Former Director of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Shani Abeysekera, has filed a case before the Colombo District Court, demanding a compensation of Rs. 1 billion.

In his case, Abeysekera claimed that he had been arrested on false charges, which he said was an act of misusing the judicial process that consequently tarnished his reputation.

Thus, naming the Inspector General of Police (IGP) C. D. Wickramaratne, Western Province Senior Deputy Inspector General (SDIG) of Police Deshabandu Tennakoon, Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Neville de Silva and Inspector Jagath Nishantha, and the Attorney General as respondents in his case, the former CID Director demanded a compensation of Rs. 1 billion.

Abeysekera alleged that the CCD began investigating him, on orders of the IGP Wickramaratne and SDIG Tennakoon, in connection with the fabrication of evidence in a case filed against former DIG Vass Gunawardena over the murder of famed business Mohammed Shiyam in 2013, in spite and with malicious intent, and not, instead, for any valid or true reason.

He further alleged that Neville de Silva and Jagath Nishantha of the CCD had pressured other parties to make false statements against  him, pertaining to the aforementioned case.

Abeysekera remained under remand custody for nearly 10 months, until 17 June 2021, as per the order of the Gampaha Magistrate over the alleged fabrication of evidence for a case filed against former DIG Vass Gunawardena and several others.