Former Navy Commander Admiral Nishantha Ulugetenne, who had been in remand custody over the alleged disappearance of a youth from Pothuhera, was granted bail today by the Kurunegala Magistrate’s Court.
Ulugetenne was arrested in connection with the disappearance, which reportedly took place during his tenure as Director of Naval Intelligence. He had earlier been remanded until July 30 by the Polgahawela Magistrate’s Court pending investigations.
Police sources said the incident is believed to have occurred within the Pothuhera Police Division. However, Police Spokesman ASP F.U. Wootle stated that further details would be released once he consulted the Director of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
At the time of the alleged incident, Admiral Ulugetenne served as head of naval intelligence under then Navy Commander Vice Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda. He later went on to serve as Commander of the Navy from July 2020 to December 2022, and in February 2024, during President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s administration, he was appointed Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Cuba.
Ulugetenne had not previously been investigated over alleged wartime human rights violations, though several other senior naval officers faced such probes. His arrest marks the first of its kind since the National People’s Power (NPP) government assumed office last year.
During his tenure in naval intelligence, Ulugetenne played a key role in coordinating operations against the LTTE’s floating warehouses, which were destroyed with the assistance of both local and US intelligence agencies.
