The Police Headquarters states that it categorically denies the allegations that it was the Sri Lanka Police that released MP Ranjan Ramanayake’s phone recordings – currently circulating through media and social media – to the public.

Issuing a statement, Sri Lanka Police said the responsibility of these audio recordings being released to the public lies with those who owned them.

Meanwhile, a three-wheeler driver in Battaramulla had handed over another hard drive containing phone recordings to the police claiming that a passenger had left it behind in the vehicle.

Police stated that the audio clips contained recordings of phone conversations between MP Ramanayake and United National Party (UNP) Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, UNP MP Hirunika Premachandra, former High Court Judge Padmini N. Ranawaka, former Director of Bribery Commission Dilrukshika Dias, former Director of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Shani Abeyesekera and several other officers connected to the judiciary and the police.

Reportedly, it also contained recordings of a phone conversation about the use of weapons to assassinate MP Mahindananda Aluthgamage.

Accordingly, MP Ramanayake’s home was searched, on January 04, under a search warrant to locate the original copy of the hard drive and other property.

Police have seized a firearm, 127 live ammunition, 02 laptops, 04 external hard disks, 05 hard disks, 164 various DVDs, 02 files containing details of the murder of Wasim Thajudeen and a mobile phone upon the search.

The statement further read that the parliamentarian was arrested on the suspicion of whether he had committed a crime based on the fact that 23 rounds of ammunition that should have been with the MP had disappeared.

They are due to be produced before the Court and Government Analyst’s Department.