Former Director of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Shani Abeysekera has revealed details concerning his arrest in July 2020 and his involvement in the inquiry against Dr. Shafi Shihabdeen of the Kurunegala Hospital.

Addressing the media today, Shani Abeysekera revealed that there were no cases against him in Sri Lanka’s courts at present and that the authorities had failed to file a case against him during his arrest.

“The authorities couldn’t even produce a charge sheet against me. I was imprisoned for 10 months and 18 days and provided meals under the expenditure of the then government,” he said.

Shani Abeysekera was arrested in July 2020 and was charged under the Offensive Weapons Act and Explosives Devices Act related to the case of the murder of the late businessman Mohamed Shyam.

On the inquiry against Dr. Shafi Shihabdeen of the Kurunegala Hospital, Shani Abeysekera said the CID had been entrusted with conducting an inquiry after allegations against the doctor had been published in the Divaina Newspaper on 24 May 2019.

He said the then IGP C. D. Wickremeratne had questioned how the information had reached a local newspaper and had instructed him to investigate how the newspaper had access to such information.

“First, as it was necessary to investigate the news reporter, we had informed the journalist to report to the CID on 26 May. However, on 25 May, the IGP questioned me as to how Dr. Shafi was arrested when it was the CID that was entrusted with the inquiry,” he said.

According to Abeysekera, the IGP had then instructed the CID to launch an inquiry into the entire issue involving Dr. Shafi, and not just the newspaper report.

“Upon requesting the IGP to amend the fax with these instructions accordingly, Dr. Shafi who was arrested by the Police was taken into CID custody and investigations were launched,” he said.

Stating that at the time, the CID team was only aware of allegations regarding sterilization and that they were unaware of the medical definitions, he said they had deemed information insufficient to conduct the inquiry.

Abeysekera said, therefore, steps were taken to obtain an order from the Kurunegala Magistrate’s Court to receive the services of a specialist team to provide advice and recommendations on the matter.

“Based on the court order, a specialist team was appointed consisting of the Chief Judicial Medical Officer (JMO) Anil Tennakoon, and Specialists Ruwan Pathirane and Ms. Karunasekera. The CID team conducting the inquiry had met the specialists to be briefed on the term sterilization and other details related to the allegations,” he said.

Shani Abeysekera added that the inquiry had been conducted against Dr. Shafi based on these recommendations and briefings provided by the specialist team, including on menstruation, fertile period, and sterilization of women.

In May 2019, Dr. Shafi Sihabdeen was sent on compulsory leave and arrested after being accused of performing illegal sterilization operations at the Kurunegala Teaching Hospital.

Dr. Shafi was also accused of having amassed wealth illegally and maintaining links with a terrorist organization but was later released from the case with the Attorney General’s Department dropping all charges against him.

Dr. S. Jaishankar, the External Affairs Minister of India, is slated to arrive in Sri Lanka on June 20 for an official visit, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced.

The chair of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on National Security Hon. Sarath Weerasekara has stated that an external mechanism has been established in Geneva, Switzerland for past 2 years according to resolution 46/1 in order to collect evidence related to war crimes against those heroes and political leaders who were accused of committing war crimes. He further stated that, in a report recently published by the said mechanism, it has been stated that they have a significant amount of evidence against the military leaders of this country.

Minister Harin Fernando today (14) revealed that an election is scheduled to take place on October 05 this year. He made this announcement during a press interaction in Galle. Expressing confidence in the outcome, Minister Fernando asserted that President Ranil Wickremesinghe would emerge triumphant in the forthcoming election.

Whilst revealing that Russian law allows that country to recruit foreigners to its military in accordance with signed contracts, Sri Lankan foreign Minister Ali Sabry yesterday said the Russian government wants local servicemen and the Sri Lankan government to uphold these contracts they have signed with their foreign employers.

Two young boys drowned while bathing in the sea off the beach close to the Negombo town last evening, Police said. The boys aged 14 and 17 are residents of Negombo.

The Sri Lanka Navy seized a multi-day fishing craft suspected be transporting heroin during a deep-sea operation conducted approximately 400 nautical miles (740 km) south of Sri Lanka.

After the 24-hour postal trade union strike, the United Postal Trade Unions Front (UPTUF) has decided to resume another countrywide trade union action on June 24 if a favorable response is not received from the Finance Ministry, UPTUF convener Chinthaka Bandara said.

The government is set to establish 25 District Industries Promotion Councils covering the entire island in support of local Micro, Small and Medium Industries (MSMEs).

Speculations are raised on whether President Ranil Wickremesinghe is once again on the search for a two thirds majority in Parliament. That is mainly due to media disclosures of recent pro-government discussions held to explore the possibility of holding a referendum in July.

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa would have faced the same fate as that of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa if he had been elected as President in 2019, Presidential Advisor Ashu Marasinghe said today.

A group of retired Inspector General of Police (IGP) and retired Senior DIGs yesterday voiced their disapproval of the decision made by former Senior DIG Ravi Seneviratne and former Director of Criminal Investigation Department former SSP Shani Abeysekera to join the National People’s Power (NPP).

State Minister Shantha Bandara has been appointed as the Acting Minister of Mass Media with immediate effect. The appointment was made by the President this evening as Mass Media Minister Bandula Gunawardana has left the country on an official tour.

SLPP National Organizer Namal Rajapaksa cautioned the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and the Tamil people to be mindful of politicians who change their policies suddenly to grab votes.

Former Parliamentarian Ranjan Ramanayaka was acquitted from the case filed against him over a financial fraud promising to marry a female teacher in Kandy. The ruling was given by Kandy Chief Magistrate Chamara Wickramanayake.

Two Sri Lankan Tamil Canadians have been arrested by Thellipallai police over a complaint lodged by a lawyer that they attacked him within the Mallakam court premises. Police took them into custody on Tuesday (11). Produced before the Magistrate, they were remanded.

The ongoing renovations in Sri Lanka’s Northern railway track from Maho to Anuradhapura will help to reduce Colombo-Jaffna journey time to around 5.5 hours from the current 7.5 hours, Transport Minister Bandula Gunawardana said.

The Intentional Monetary Fund (IMF) announced the completion of the second review under the 48-month Extended Fund Facility (EFF) Arrangement, allowing Sri Lanka to draw SDR 254 million (about US$336 million).

The approval of the IMF’s second review for Sri Lanka will pave the way for stronger policies and sustainable growth, said State Minister of Finance Shehan Semasinghe.

Three eminent environmentalists together with the Bishop of Mannar Rev. Fr. Bastian have filed a fundamental rights petition before the Supreme Court against the procurement and construction of the proposed 250 MW Mannar Wind Power Project in Mannar that is reported to have been awarded to Adani Green Energy Pte. Ltd.

The United Postal Trade Unions Front (UPTUF) is set to launch a 24-hour trade union action from tonight due to the failure to fill more than 6,000 existing vacancies in the postal service. UPTUF convener Chinthaka Bandara informed the Daily Mirror that no recruitments have been made to any grades in the postal sector since 2018.