POLICE SAY ATTORNEY WANNINAYAKA EVADING INVESTIGATION AFTER FAILING TO GIVE STATEMENT

Policeman granted bail in Mount Lavinia court assault case

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The policeman accused of assaulting the lawyer was remanded on October 10 and released on bail yesterday, while Attorney-at-Law Gunaratne Wanninayake was later investigated under Section 486 of the Penal Code for verbally abusing and threatening a policeman on duty inside the court premises.

The Police yesterday informed Mt. Lavinia Magistrate Pasan Amarasena that they had launched an investigation against Attorney-at-Law Gunaratne Wanninayake, the President of the Colombo Chief Magistrate's Court Bar Association, over allegations of verbally abusing and threatening a policeman who was on duty within court premises on October 10.

Mount Lavinia Magistrate Pasan Amarasena granted bail to the suspect policeman on two sureties of Rs.100,000 each.

Police informed court that statements had been obtained from the Inspectors who were on duty that day, the driver of the prison bus, and a Buddhist monk.

Police further revealed that there had been no physical altercation or fighting incident on that day.

Meanwhile, President's Counsel Ranasinghe, appearing for the aggrieved attorney-at-law, presented to court a video allegedly showing the police officer assaulting the lawyer, and stated that the officer had admitted to the assault.

However, police informed court that with modern Al technology, such videos could be artificially created or manipulated.