Court told Kapila Chandrasena phone data may be lost after 29 November

The Colombo Crime Division (CCD) told the Fort Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday that data from the phone of the late former SriLankan Airlines Chief Executive Officer Kapila Chandrasena could be lost after 29 November.

The CCD said a court order was sent to Apple through the Ministry of Justice under the Mutual Legal Assistance process. Apple had reportedly told investigators it would retain the data for only 90 days. Officers said a further request had been made and no reply had been received.

Fort Magistrate Pasan Amarasena questioned why the Inspector General of Police or the Attorney General had not been told of the difficulty, and ordered the CCD to inform both immediately and take further action.

The CCD also said reports from the Government Analyst on four types of medication recovered from the place where Chandrasena died had not been received. The Government Analyst’s Department told investigators on 13 October that it needed another three weeks, the CCD said.

Chandrasena died on 8 May. The magistrate noted that other evidence had been examined within a month.