The CID continues to protect the main suspect in the Bharatha Lakshman Premachnadra murder case, MP Duminda Silva after informing court that he has made a statement saying he did not have any memory of Premachandra’s murder. Unbiased CID officials say that their colleagues instead of continuing further investigations after informing court that there is a difficulty in believing Silva’s statement were working to safeguard him.

It is now over three months since Colombo Additional Magistrate Prasanna Alwis had issued an order for Silva’s arrest in connection to Premachandra’s murder case. The CID has however not acted on the order and ASP Shani Abeysekera from the CID has told court that they were waiting for the Attorney General’s advice to proceed with the investigation and arrest Silva.

Former Attorney general, President’s Counsel Eva Wanasundera has told BBC Sandeshaya that Silva cannot be arrested until his statement was recorded. Wanasundera had told the BBC that a date when Silva’s statement would be recorded could not be given since he was unconscious and receiving treatment at a hospital in Singapore.

Following a court directive, head of the CID’s special investigations unit, IP Merril Ranjan Lamahewa visited the Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore and recorded Silva’s statement. Silva had said that he did not have any recollection of a shoot out.

“I can remember going to Mulleriyawa on the day of the incident. My next recollection is that I was on a bed at the Sri Jayawardenepura Hospital. When I inquired from my mother for the reason I was on a hospital bed, she said that I had been in an accident. The judicial medical officer of the Sri Jayawardenepura Hospital then asked me about a shoot out. Other than that I have no recollection of the period between going to Mulleriyawa and waking up on a hospital bed at the Sri Jayawardenepura Hospital,” Silva has stated.

A senior CID official told us that while there could be a complete memory loss after being shot at and that the pre-shoot out memory could also be lost, it was impossible to have a selective memory loss. The officer said that Silva’s statement therefore was unacceptable.

The senior officer said that if Silva could remember going to Mulleriyawa, according to medical science, he should then have a memory of the rest of the incidents.

He explained that the Silva had recognized his mother and spoken to the judicial medical officer a few days after gaining consciousness, which proves that there was nothing wrong with his memory.

“Hence, the only acceptable statement Silva could have given was that he did not have a recollection of anything. However, the statement made by him is unacceptable,” the officer said.