Sri Lanka’s Former Navy Commander Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda's lawyers have submitted a Fundamental Rights petition to the Supreme Court requesting an order preventing his arrest by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID).

According to several newspaper reports, the CID last week reportedly has named Admiral Karannagoda as the 14th suspect in the abductions case of 11 youths between 2008/09 for ransom.

Current Chief of Defence Staff Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne is also a suspect in the case. Karannagoda is also a former Sri Lankan Ambassador to Japan. 

The CID has informed the Magistrate that the Attorney General is planning to indict Karannagoda on multiple charges including the conspiracy to murder.

A state-owned weekly newspaper last week said notices delivered to two addresses linked to the former Navy Chief had been returned, OIC of the CID’s Gang Robberies Branch IP Nishantha Silva told the Fort Magistrate, raising suspicion that the Admiral and two other suspects who were also absconding summons to the CID could try to flee the country.

The Attorney General has advised the CID to produce the former Navy Commander in court, on several charges under the Penal Code, including aiding and abetting the abduction of the 11 boys and concealing information about the offences.