July 07, Colombo (LNW): Former Cabinet Minister Duminda Dissanayake has been ordered to remain in remand custody until July 15, following a court appearance earlier today (07) before the Mount Lavinia Magistrate.
The decision relates to an ongoing investigation into the startling discovery of a gold-plated T-56 assault rifle at a residential complex in the Havelock Town area of Colombo.
Dissanayake, who was arrested in late May, remains at the centre of a high-profile probe being conducted by the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID). His arrest on May 23 followed a raid carried out just days earlier, on May 20, when authorities uncovered the ornamental yet fully operational weapon concealed within a woman’s travel bag at the apartment building.
The weapon’s presence at the site, and the unusual nature of its lavish customisation, immediately raised questions regarding its ownership, origin, and purpose.
Whilst police have yet to publicly confirm how the weapon was linked to the former minister, investigators are reportedly pursuing several leads, including possible connections to illicit arms holdings and questions surrounding misuse of political influence.
