Journalist Chamuditha Samarawickrema has been summoned to the police in connection with investigations into the killing of businessman Dinesh Schaffter.
He was to appear before the CID this morning (18) for questioning with regard to a discussion for his online channel ‘Truth with Chamuditha’ regarding the murder he had with Keerthi Ratnayake, a person identified as a defence analyst.
During the discussion, several allegations have been made against the police and former cricket commentator Brian Thomas.
No suspects have been arrested in connection with Schaffter’s killing three days ago, as four police teams are investigating.
Thomas has been imposed with a foreign travel ban in connection with the probe.
Schaffter had lodged three complaints to the CID against Thomas over an unreturned loan three years ago.
The chairman of Janashakthi Insurance, aged 51, had left his Cinnamon Gardens home around 1.30 pm on December 15 to meet a person who owed him money, his wife Tarni has told the police.
She had taken a call a little while later, but found his mobile phone switched off.
Tracking him via GPS, she found that Dinesh was located near the Borella Cemetery and sent an officer of the Janashakthi Group there to make inquiries.
The officer found his chairman on the driver’s seat, with his hands tied together and a wire across his neck.
Dinesh was rushed to Colombo National Hospital around 5.15 pm, where he died hours later at its ICU.
The postmortem examination has returned strangulation as the cause of death.
Investigators have obtained statements from 23 persons, including Schaffter’s wife, the Janashakthi officer who found him at the cemetery and several cemetery workers.
CCTV footage, Dinesh’s mobile phone and the digital system of his car are being used in the probe.
Public security minister Tiran Alles has summoned top police officials and discussed the probe into the Schaffter’s killing.
(With inputs from BBC Sinhala Service)
