Retired Senior Deputy Inspector General (SDIG) of Police Priyantha Jayakody has been remanded until 6 August by the Mahara Magistrate’s Court, following his arrest by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on allegations of filing a false complaint involving an underworld threat.
The arrest took place on 28 July in connection with a complaint lodged by Jayakody claiming he had received death threats from a notorious underworld figure, Koralagamage Mandinu Padmasiri, also known as ‘Kehelbaddara Padme’. However, CID investigations later revealed that the complaint was allegedly fabricated.
Further investigations led to the arrest of another suspect, who allegedly posed as ‘Kehelbaddara Padme’ and issued the threats to former Public Security Minister Tiran Alles and SDIG Lalith Pathinayake. The suspect reportedly confessed to carrying out the threats at the request of Jayakody.
Both Minister Alles and SDIG Pathinayake had earlier lodged complaints with the CID over threats they said were received from the same underworld figure. These complaints, along with the findings of the CID, formed the basis of the legal action taken against the retired police officer.
Jayakody, a former high-ranking official within Sri Lanka’s police force, is now under remand custody as investigations continue.