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Phone analysis holds up probe in to Schaffter’s murder
ECONOMYNEXT –Complex telephone data analysis was taking more time than originally expected as criminal investigators attempted to solve the murder of business executive Dinesh Schaffter at the General cemetery Kanatte last week.
Schaffter, 51, was found strangled in the driving seat of his Toyota on December 15 evening. The car has been subjected to forensic tests along with data from mobile phone base stations in the area to establish those who were in the vicinity at the time.
“We have to analyse all the phone numbers that were connected to base stations in the area on December 15,” a top investigator said. “We are right now in the process of screening all the phones to eliminate suspects and prepare a short list of those who may have been involved.”
The complex task of tracking base station data could take weeks, the officer said adding that the January 2009 killing of Lasantha Wickrematunge was pinned on a unit of the military intelligence following a meticulous phone analysis done with the help of US investigators.The
technical costs of the analysis was estimated at about 42 million rupees at the time.Police have already interviewed over 50 people in connection with Schaffter’s murder, but the investigators were yet to make a breakthrough.
“There are several lines of investigation. We are trying to establish a credible motive. Both his business and social contacts are being looked into. Investigators are keeping an open mind,” the officer said earlier this week.
However, former cricket commentator Brian Thomas has been barred from travelling abroad as detectives may need to interview him again over his business dealings with Schaffter.
Evidence from Thomas suggests that Schaffter requested a meeting, but he declined. Thomas had surrendered his mobile devices to the CID.In 2019, Schaffter had complained that the former cricket commentator had defrauded him of over 140 million rupees and a case is pending.
Pope Leo XIV appealed for “no more war” in a message to world powers during his first Sunday address at the Vatican.
Reflecting on current conflicts, the newly selected pontiff called for a “lasting peace” in the war in Ukraine, a ceasefire in Gaza, and welcomed Saturday’s agreement to end recent hostilities between India and Pakistan.
He said he was “deeply hurt” by events in Gaza, expressed hope for a “lasting accord” between India and Pakistan, and wished for a “authentic, true and lasting peace” in Ukraine.
The Pope also recited the Regina Caeli prayer, in honour of the Virgin Mary, to the crowd in St Peter’s Square.
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May this Vesak celebration be a blessed one filled with kindness and compassion towards all living beings – PM
In her Vesak day message, Prime Minister Dr Harini Amarasuriya wished that this Vesak celebration be a blessed one filled with kindness and compassion towards all living beings
The full text of the prime ministers vesak day message:
“It is an honor to extend my Vesak day message to all citizens of the nation during this sacred period in which Buddhist community across Sri Lanka come together to pay homage to the Lord Buddha, upholding both material and spiritual offerings and commemorating the threefold sacred events of the Lord Buddha’s life.
Since ancient times, the lives of the Sri Lankan people have been deeply rooted by the teaching of the Lord Buddha and this is a greater inheritance we have received through the Dhamma. In our country, where people of diverse ethnicities and religions coexist in harmony, the collective celebration of a major religious festival such as Vesak stands as a powerful testament to that unity.
This year Vesak day celebration marks the first to be celebrated under the current government, which was established with the vision of “A Prosperous Country, a Beautiful Life.” I believe that this Vesak season is a particularly a time to heal the hearts and minds of humanity, especially as our nation embarks on a path of meaningful transformation. Through this message, I take this opportunity to invite all of citizens to unite in mind and spirit, bound together by mutual respect and compassion.
I join all Sri Lankans in praying that the flames of war burning in various parts of the world at this moment may be extinguished, and that all people across the globe may be blessed with lives of happiness and peace.
May all of you have a blessed Vesak!”
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Special waste management programme launched under “Clean Sri Lanka” during the State Vesak Festival
Parallel with the State Vesak Festival that commenced on Saturday (10) in the Nuwara Eliya District, a special waste management initiative has been launched under the “Clean Sri Lanka” programme to enhance facilities for devotees and ensure proper waste disposal in the city of Nuwara Eliya.
With hundreds of thousands of people expected to visit Nuwara Eliya during the Vesak Week, from May 10 to 16, this initiative is aimed at preserving the cleanliness and beauty of the area.
The programme will focus particularly on areas around the Gregory Lake, a key tourist attraction, and the Nuwara Eliya International Buddhist Centre, the venue for the State Vesak Festival.
In addition, the “Clean Sri Lanka” initiative urges visiting devotees to refrain from bringing non-biodegradable material such as polythene and calls on all citizens to act responsibly by properly disposing of waste only at designated locations, while maintaining the sanctity and cleanliness of the environment.
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