I cannot give my phone - Champika Ranawaka

The Division for the Protection of Victims and Witnesses has launched a comprehensive investigation into an incident of threatening and influencing a witness in the High Court case related to the road accident that occurred in 2016 in the Rajagiriya area, when a jeep allegedly driven by former Minister and leader of the United Republican Front, Patali Champika Ranawaka, collided with a motorcycle. These investigations are being carried out based on a complaint made by the said witness regarding their safety.

The relevant police division states that a person considered a close associate of Mr. Patali Champika Ranawaka was arrested last February in connection with this incident. During the examination of the arrested suspect's mobile phone, investigators' attention was drawn to several WhatsApp messages exchanged and deleted between him and Mr. Ranawaka's phone, raising strong suspicion as to whether important evidence related to the case has been destroyed through them. However, it is further reported that the suspect had left the United Republican Front due to political reasons and had some animosity with Mr. Ranawaka.

Based on the suspicion raised regarding the deleted messages, these investigations were handed over to the Colombo Crimes Division, where Mr. Ranawaka was questioned for over five hours on March 16th, and his statements were recorded. Subsequently, after the investigations were again transferred to the Division for the Protection of Victims and Witnesses, investigators informed Mr. Ranawaka to hand over his mobile phone to the division for further investigations.

However, he has refused to hand over his mobile phone to the police division, and investigators have been making continuous efforts to obtain it. Nevertheless, since Mr. Ranawaka has agreed to hand over the said phone to the court, Director of the Division for the Protection of Victims and Witnesses, Senior Superintendent of Police Lalith Rohana Gamage, stated that he believes Mr. Ranawaka will present it to the court on the upcoming 29th, according to a court order. The phone thus presented is scheduled to be sent to the Government Analyst for a forensic examination based on a court order, and a comprehensive analysis will be conducted to determine if any message exchange occurred with the arrested suspect related to influencing witnesses.