Galle Chief Magistrate Harshana Kekunawela yesterday remanded the former Rakna Lanka Chairman, Victor Samaraweera, until July 19 when he was produced in the Magistrate’s Court by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
Samaraweera was arrested over allegations linked to the Avant-Garde floating armoury case.
The Attorney General’s Department had, on Friday, issued a directive to the acting Inspector General of Police C.D. Wickremaratne to arrest eight suspects including the Chairman of Avant Garde Maritime Services on charges of maintaining a floating armoury near Galle Harbour and illegally operating ships carrying firearms and explosives during the tenure of the previous Government.
Subsequently the Rakna Lanka Chairman, whose company allegedly had links with the floating armoury operation, surrendered to the Criminal Investigation Department which then prosecuted him under Firearms Ordinance.
The floating armoury scandal came to light when an un-reported ‘armoury’ of military weaponry was discovered on October 15, 2015, when police, acting on a tip-off, searched a civilian ship near Galle port. The haul of fire arms included 84 T-56 assault rifles, light machine guns and ammunition.
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