Police are seeking a 30-day detention and interrogation order for former Member of Parliament Chandana Kathriarachchi after his initial 72-hour interrogation period expired, NewsFirst reported on Saturday.
Kathriarachchi was arrested earlier this week by the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) in connection with the discovery of a stock of ammunition and explosives at his residence in Piliyandala. Officers recovered 221 T-56 bullets, two T-56 magazines and a hand grenade during the search, which was conducted under a warrant from the Kesbewa Magistrate’s Court.
A 12-bore firearm originally issued to the former MP for use on cultivation land was also taken into police custody.
Kathriarachchi last served in Parliament through the People’s Alliance (PA) and contested the most recent general election from the Colombo District under the New Democratic Front ticket.
The 30-day detention order, if granted, would allow investigators to continue questioning him under custody as they probe the origin and intended use of the weapons. The initial arrest opened a new strand in an expanding set of high-profile accountability cases involving former parliamentarians and senior officials currently under investigation.
