Champika Ranawaka's mobile phone taken into police custody

The mobile phone of former Minister and Member of Parliament Patali Champika Ranawaka was taken into police custody on April 09, following an order from the Kesbewa Magistrate's Court, in connection with an investigation into allegations related to a road accident that occurred in 2016. Currently, the phone is in the custody of the Colombo Crimes Division, and this legal step has once again sparked a strong discussion within the country's political sphere.

This legal process is based on the road accident that occurred in Rajagiriya on February 28, 2016. In connection with that accident, the Attorney General has filed a case in the Colombo High Court under charges of altering evidence, concealing evidence, and influencing witnesses. In addition to MP Patali Champika Ranawaka, Dinuka Thusitha Kumara, who served as his driver, and Sudath Asmadala, the former OIC of Welikada Police, have also been named as defendants in this case. An earlier request made by the MP to the Supreme Court to suspend this trial has also been rejected, and the objective of the Witness Protection Division and the Dematagoda Crimes Division is to further confirm facts related to the relevant charges through the analysis of phone data.

However, speaking to the media after handing over his mobile phone to the court, Mr. Champika Ranawaka stated that this is a program to politically target and hunt him. He alleged that a lot of highly sensitive information regarding government corruption, such as the e-visa scam, the 323 container incident, and the gravel scam, is stored on his phone, and that the current government is using this legal action as a shield with the aim of suppressing that information. He has directly leveled his accusations regarding this process against Mr. Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

Commenting on this incident, the MP's lawyer, Mr. Shiral Lakthilaka, refers to this as a case where the police got their wires crossed. The MP's side further points out that even though the police were previously given the opportunity to examine the mobile phone in question, taking it completely into police custody once again is suspicious.