Information has surfaced that former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa had been keeping an elephant illegally, said Wildlife and Sustainable Development Minister Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka.
Addressing a media conference yesterday, Fonseka said that Gotabhaya had kept two elephants and had returned them after their defeat.
The minister said that information has surfaced that the former President had got five elephants through a special decree.
Although the former president had given an elephant to the Kataragama Devalaya its custody was handed to Shashindra Rajapaksha. Another elephant was under the custody of his Chief Security Officer while another elephant was given to a temple under the custodianship of a relative of his.
Fonseka said that all details regarding this issue would be got and measures would be taken to initiate legal action against them.
He noted that during the previous regime 39 elephants had been caught from the wild and brought for various purposes and so far 17 legal cases have been filed pertaining to arrests.
Bail granted to three elephant racketeers
Meanwhile, notorious elephant racketeer Niranjan Roshan alias Ali Roshan of Pannipitiya, Pelenwatte Gemunu Mawatha was arrested by the CID yesterday for the illegal sale of captured wild elephants.
The officer in charge of registering wild elephants at the Wildlife Department Priyangika Sanjeewani and former Wildlife Department Deputy Director (legal) Upali Pathmasiri were also taken into custody.
They face charges of possession of wild elephants using forged licences.
However, the Kesbewa Magistrate Ruchira Weliwatte ordered the three suspects to be released on cash bail of Rs. 100,000 each and two personal bails of Rs. One million each, yesterday.
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