A senior police officer at the Police Headquarters said that the interim report has recommended the temporary suspension of service of a number of police officers including the Officer-in-Charge. He said Police Headquarters has already informed the National Police Commission with regard to the OICs transfer and the name of the successor appointed in his place for its approval.
The interim report has highlighted a number of lapses from the part of Wellampitiya police station since these suspects were arrested from the factory . Residents living in Wellampitiya held a protest demanding the transfer of the Wellampitiya OIC The OIC in question had filed a complaint with the Judicial Service Commission over the incident of granting bail to nine workers who were arrested at the Wellampitiya copper factory which is said to be owned by one of the suicide bombers responsible for the Easter Sunday attacks
He had complained that the police requested courts to deny bail to the suspects. However, the OIC claims that neither oral nor written submissions made by the police were included in the Magistrate’s records.
The Special Investigation Unit launched a probe to ascertain whether the nine employees of the copper factory at Wellampitiya were released on bail due to an error of Wellampitiya Police officers, Police spokesman SP Ruwan Gunasekara said.On April 22, nine employees of the factory owned by the Cinnamon hotel suicide bomber, Mohamed Ibrahim Insaf Ahamad were arrested and produced at the Colombo No 2 Magistrate’s Court where they were ordered to be remanded till May 6. However, they were granted bail when the case was called on May 6.