Ex-Film Corp official remanded over LTTE link

Four suspects including a Director of the Film Corporation who were arrested with a haul of explosives, hand grenades and detonators from a shop in Kotahena, believed to be a ‘dressing room’ were yesterday produced before Mt. Lavinia Additional Magistrate Dharshika Wimalasiri. He ordered that they be held under Detention Order till September 19.

The suspects in this case are Stanislaus Noranthanthan, Kakapathi Devadasan, Paramasothi Sathya Seelan, Kamale Krishsanthi Reginald Perera .

The suspects were accused of being members of the LTTE and having explosives in their possession with the intention of harming lives.

SI Joseph Fernando of Wellawatte Police, prosecuting, submitted that the second suspect is a director of the Film Corporation. The fourth suspect a Sinhalese woman, is alleged to have been the mistress of a boarding house in Bentara Arachi Place in Pamankade, where LTTE suspects had taken lodging.

The haul of explosives and equipment which were produced in Court, included C4 type of explosives, 500 grammes of ball bearings, six foreign manufactured hand grenades and eight electronic detonators.

Police filing a B report stated that the first suspect from Killinochi initially joined the LTTE in 1999. He had later followed a Black Tiger combat course, before opting to become a suicide bomber.

Police further submitted that by a circular issued by the IGP, the explosives were to be destroyed by a special police team.

The Court allowed an application by police to obtain the details of telephone calls taken by the suspects from several mobile telephone service providers. In addition, the Court allowed an application to obtain bank statements of the suspects.