Following the recommendation by the Chief Medical Officer of Prisons, remanded Parliamentarian Dr. Rajitha Senaratne was ordered to be transferred to the Welikada Prison hospital from the private hospital in which he was being treated in Colombo last evening.
However, the Prisons Department said transferring him to the Prison Hospital was later suspended as his health conditions were said to be deteriorating.
The Chief Medical Officer had visited the MP at the private hospital on Saturday (28).
The MP was arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on December 27 at Lanka Hospital Colombo while receiving treatment at the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit and was remanded till today (30) by Colombo Additional Magistrate Shalini Perera, who visited him at the hospital.
Senaratne, who was wanted in connection with the controversial media conference on ‘White Vans’ held just before the Presidential Election-2019 had gone missing since December 24, when the warrant to arrest him was issued by the Colombo Additional Magistrate.
Two days later (December 26), the MP was admitted at the Lanka Hospital and the CID arrested him on the next day (27) after recording a statement from him at the Hospital. However, the CID informed the courts that it was difficult for them to record a statement from the MP due to his health condition.
The former minister was receiving treatment at Lanka Hospital under the custody of prison officers till yesterday.
Earlier, Parliamentarian Senaratne had filed three anticipatory bail applications before the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s court seeking an order to release him on bail if he was arrested over the White van incident.
A motion was also filed by his lawyers to recall the warrant issued on the former Minister and it was rejected by Colombo Chief Magistrate Lanka Jayarathne on December 26.