By Madura Ranwala

Criminal Investigations Department has confirmed that one of the underworld gang leaders known as ‘Army Samapth’ and his associate called ‘Sanka’ had been among the UNP election campaigners on July 31 when the daring gun attack took place, according to statements given by some of the UNP supporters who were there at the time, Police spokesman told to the media yesterday in Colombo.

ASP Ruwan Gunasekera said that CID had been able to take into custody two cars and five suspects in connection with the attack.

Asked whether the car found on the day of the shooting which killed two UNP supporters and injured 11 others had been used by the gunmen, the ASP said that it was believed to be the vehicle used by Army Samapath and Sanka and the person, who rented out the vehicle to them had fled the area.

“The other hybrid car taken into custody later belongs to a teacher from Anuradhapura, who is working in a Colombo school and she had given it to a rent-a-car centre at Wellampitiya. Through interrogation CID has found out that it was rented by a Colombo Municipal Council driver who gave it to the gunmen carried out the attack July 31, for Rs. 95,000. The suspects, however, had returned the vehicle the following day to the CMC driver, though they rented for one month for that fee. The CMC driver had then rented the same car to two supporters of two candidates contesting the parliamentary polls this year. The CID recovered the vehicle from a house of one of the supporters,” ASP Gunasekera said.

The CID has so far arrested five suspects over the incident but the assailants and underworld gangsters the gunmen targeted on that day are still at large.

He said that Army Sampath had arrived in the country in May using a forged passport.

One of the assailants, Amila, is one of the suspects in the killing of former SLFP parliamentarian Baratha Lakshman Premachandra and he was arrested by the CID at Hulftsdorph recently.

Courtesy:The Island