The Colombo Magistrate's Court yesterday (4) granted permission to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) to refer the laptops used by deceased businessman Dinesh Schaffter's family members, and former cricket commentator Brian Thomas, to the Government Analyst's (GA) Department and to obtain the relevant reports.

The CID, through a motion, requested the Court to grant permission to refer the laptops used by Schaffter's family members and Thomas to the GA's Department and to obtain reports.

Accordingly, Colombo Magistrate Prasanna Alwis granted permission to the CID. He then ordered that the case be taken up again on 8 May.

Schaffter died at the National Hospital in Colombo on 15 December, 2022 after being found tied to the driver's seat in his vehicle with a wire around his neck, at the Borella Cemetery. He had left home that afternoon, according to a statement made by his wife, to attend a meeting and did not return home as expected. His wife had located Schaffter near the Borella Cemetery via the tracking device of his phone linked to her’s. An employee of Schaffter’s company had then immediately arrived at the scene, following which he had taken Schaffter to the Hospital. That night the Hospital confirmed that Schaffter died.