Nov 29, Colombo: The third secretary of Sri Lanka Embassy in Oman, Ediracharige Kushan who was arrested earlier today by the Criminal Investigation Department in connection with alleged human trafficking ring, has been remanded.

Colombo Chief Magistrate Nandana Amarasinghe ordered today (29) to remand the embassy officialuntil December 13th.

The Criminal Investigation Department informed the court that the suspect was arrested today (29) at 4.15 am when he arrived in Sri Lanka by air from Muscat, Oman.

Following his arrest, the suspect was taken to the Human Trafficking, Smuggling Investigation and Maritime Crime Investigation Division of the CID for questioning.

The suspect is also accused of sexually abusing women migrant workers, who were subjected to violence and harassment from employers and sheltered at the Embassy’s safe house.

The Criminal Investigation Department informed the court a complex probe into the charges including trafficking of Sri Lankan women to Oman on tourist visas and trading them for prostitution and sexually abusing destitute migrant workers is underway and the investigations have not yet been completed.

The CID pointed out that as this suspect is a person related to the embassy, he has the ability to influence the witnesses and requested that the suspect be remanded in custody.

However, the lawyers who appeared for the concerned suspect presenting their facts before the court dismissed the allegations as “baseless”, and requested that their client be released on bail.

After considering the facts presented, the magistrate ordered that the concerned suspect be remanded until the 13th December.