Court rejects issuing search warrants
A court in Sri Lanka has rejected two requests by the police to search the offices of Leader of the Opposition and Lankadeepa Sinhala newspaper.
Police Criminal Investigation Division (CID) said it has received information that a SLR weapon was found in the police barrack at Ranil Wickramasinghe’s office. At the Biyagmama office of Lankadeepa newspaper, it said, anti-government posters were being printed. Rejecting the request, Colombo additional magistrate said the police have failed to provide enough evidence to prove their allegations. However the court allowed the police to search two garment factories in Kohuwala and Maharagma where police said anti-government T-shirts being produced. Sacred Relic 'thrown away' Meanwhile the CID has rejected appeals to release a senior Buddhist monk detained on suspicion of keeping weapons and ammunition in his temple. Uvathenne Sumana thero, the chief incumbent at Sri Bodhirukkharama Temple in Colombo, was detained by the CID on Saturday evening. The thero is the general secretary of Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) Bhikku Federation is also an advisor to President Mahinda Rajapaksa. He has recently pledged support to main opposition candidate Gen Sarath Fonseka at the forthcoming presidential elections. President Rajapaksa and Gen Fonseka are the main contenders at Tuesday’s presidential polls. The counsel appearing for the thero, Ajith Pathirana told BBC Sandeshaya after visiting the monk at the CID headquarters that the police have had no respect for the temple or the monk as they searched the temple. “Sumana thero told me that he was shouted at with filthy language by the police,” he said. He accused the police of arresting the monk to take revenge against his support to Gen Fonseka. “The police have thrown the Sacred Relic and Buddhist books away while searching the temple,” the counsel added.