Colombo Additional Magistrate Rajindra Jayasuriya yesterday (24) granted permission to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) to compare and contrast the other DNA samples taken from the body of the late Director of Janashakthi PLC Dinesh Schaffter, with the DNA samples of ex-cricket commentator Brian Thomas.

Taking into account a request made by the CID, the Additional Magistrate issued the following orders.

The CID informed the Court that according to the tests, the DNA samples obtained from the Borella Cemetery watchmen and four other persons including a Police officer do not match with the DNA samples taken from the place where Schaffter was found.

Appearing in the Court, forensic expert Prof. Asela Mendis informed that many Government forensic reports which are required to prepare the final report have not been submitted to the Expert Committee appointed to investigate this case. Accordingly, the Additional Magistrate informed the Court Registrar to check all the relevant documents once again and to provide them to the Expert Committee.

The Additional Magistrate ordered the case to be called again on 8 May.

Earlier this year, Additional Magistrate Jayasuriya appointed a five-member expert committee of doctors in the forensic medicine field and in the medical field to probe and determine the cause or causes of the death of Schaffer on 15 December, 2022. The panel comprises Prof. Mendis, Prof. D.C.R. Perera, Prof. D.N.P. Fernando, Dr. Siva Subramaniam and Dr. Rohan Ruwanpura. They were to examine and decide the cause of Schaffter’s death and to submit a report to the Court earlier this year. Magistrate Jayasuriya made this order since there were contradictions in the post-mortem report submitted earlier to the Court regarding the death of Schaffter.

Schaffter was found unconscious and tied inside his vehicle at the General Cemetery in Borella on 15 December 2022 and was rushed to the Intensive Care Unit of the National Hospital in Colombo. He was pronounced dead while undergoing treatment.