Statements have been recorded from ten court employees in connection with the disappearance of case files relating to two cases filed in the Panadura Magistrate’s Court against Salindu Malsitha Gunaratne, alias ‘Kudu Salindu’, who is considered an organised criminal and drug trafficker.The Senior Superintendent of Police in charge of the Panadura Division, Mr Nishan de Silva, stated that the group from whom statements were recorded includes seven female officers.The investigation was initiated following a complaint lodged the day before yesterday (01) with the Panadura South Headquarters Police by the Registrar of the Panadura Magistrate’s Court regarding the missing case files.Accordingly, after reporting the facts to the court through a ‘B’ report, further investigations are being conducted by the Panadura Division Crime Investigation Bureau.

It is reported that the missing documents comprise a file relating to a homicide allegedly committed in the Panadura North area under the direction of ‘Kudu Salindu’, and another file relating to a case filed by the Criminal Investigation Department under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.Due to the inability to locate the record pertaining to a case called by the Criminal Investigation Department via a motion on the 28th, the matter was postponed to be recalled on the 31st using a proxy file.

A subsequent search revealed that the two relevant case files were missing. Preliminary police investigations have revealed that the files went missing after being handed over to an office assistant to obtain copies before being archived. The CCTV camera system installed in the court complex is also scheduled to be inspected in connection with the incident.Further investigations are being carried out under the direction of Chief Inspector Rohan Vishwanath, Officer-in-Charge of the Panadura Division Crime Investigation Bureau, and Panadura Headquarters Chief Inspector Upul Priyankara Naullage, on the instructions of the Senior Superintendent of Police in charge of the Panadura Division, Mr Nishan de Silva, and Assistant Superintendent of Police, Mr Kamal Jayanethti.