Ex-Provincial Councillor arrested for aiding ‘Club Wasantha’ murder suspects

A former Western Provincial Councillor has been arrested for allegedly aiding and providing lodging to the second gunman and the car driver involved in the killing of two persons including businessman Surendra Wasantha Perera, also known as ‘Club Wasantha’.

Meanwhile, the second gunman and the car driver wanted in connection with the recent killing of two persons including businessman ‘Club Wasantha’, were arrested yesterday (28) by the Panadura Police Divisional Crimes Detective Bureau at Pinwaththa in Panadura.

The arrested suspects are reportedly aged 29 and 32 and are residents of the Nagoda and Ahugalla areas. 

According to the police, it has been revealed in the investigation so far that the suspects changed from the car to a van and travelled to Kadawata from there along the Southern Expressway to Matara after carrying out the shooting.

The Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) on Friday (23) had arrested one of the suspected gunmen involved in the recent killing of ‘Club Wasantha’ in the Athurugiriya area.

The suspect, identified as 31-year-old Patty Arambage Ajith Rohana, was apprehended by the TID in the Kawdana area of Dehiwala. 

During the operation, a T-56 assault rifle, 120 rounds of ammunition, and a stock of 9mm pistol bullets were also seized, according to Police.

Additionally, another suspect, 29-year-old Tharukara Varuna Indika de Silva, who had aided and abetted by renting a house in Athurugiriya and transporting the shooters to Kataragama in a bus, was also arrested.

Police have so far arrested 14 suspects, including a female in connection with the shooting and killing of two persons including ‘Club Wasantha’ at a tattoo studio in Athurigiriya, while they were further remanded until September 02 by the Kaduwela Magistrate’s Court recently.

Police had arrested eleven suspects including the owner of the tattoo studio in Athurugiriya where the shooting incident took place on July 08 and a 21-year-old female on suspicion of having aided and abetted in the shooting incident.

During the investigations carried out thus far, it has been revealed that the owner of the tattoo studio has received an amount of Rs. 1 million over a period of time.

The shocking shooting incident had occurred during the opening ceremony of a tattoo and piercing studio near the Clock Tower in Athurugiriya on July 08.

Six people were rushed to the hospital following the incident. Police later confirmed that 55-year-old businessman Surendra Wasantha Perera, popularly known as “Club Wasantha,” and a 38-year-old male had succumbed to their injuries.

Popular singer K. Sujeewa and Wasantha’s wife were reported to be among the four injured persons.

In the course of the investigation, the police discovered the van used by the suspects in an abandoned land in the Bulathsinhala area. Additionally, the car used by the suspects to carry out the shooting was found abandoned in Kaduwela.