Police Renew Appeal for Witnesses in Death at Bananas Bar

Police are continuing to appeal for witnesses to the incident which resulted in the death of 36-year-old Dinesh Asanka Fernando Wannukawatta-Waduge from Sri-Lanka. Dinesh died following an assault at Bananas Bar in Dolphin Plaza on Eastern Avenue early Saturday morning, 30 November.

Three men have been charged in relation to the incident and a court case is ongoing.

“Unfortunately we are still in urgent need of witnesses into this matter. Even following the appeal that was made last week by Deputy Commissioner Walton, no additional witnesses have come forward to assist us,” said Detective Superintendent Pete Lansdown. “There were probably around 100 people at the location on the night of the incident and we know that about 20 persons were in a position to actually witness the incident. We’ve had to put in as much effort to find witnesses as we’ve had to in order to find and identify the suspects in this case.”

After reviewing CCTV footage, RCIPS detectives have pinpointed seven potential witnesses who they would like to identify and speak to. Photos of these persons are included.

“One or two extra witnesses could make the difference between a successful conviction or an acquittal," said Superintendent Lansdown. "If you recognize yourself in one of these images, please contact us. And if you see someone who you know, please encourage them to come forward. If you have information but are concerned about coming forward for any reason, please contact us and we will take whatever steps we can to address your concerns."

“At the end of the day it is up to the local community to play their part in maintaining law and order. If people do not come forward when they witness criminality, then that provides an opening for criminality to go unchecked and even increase. As police it is our job to investigate and prosecute, but we cannot do that effectively if the public doesn’t play their part.

Once again I want to appeal to everyone to put yourself in the shoes of the family that Dinesh has left behind. His daughter and wife deserve to have the truth. They deserve to see justice served. But even more than that, when incidents like this occur, it is our collective responsibility to do the right thing in response.”

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the RCIPS Major Incident Room at 649-2930.

Tips can also be submitted anonymously via the Miami-based call centre of Crime Stoppers at 800-8477(TIPS), or online https://www.tipsubmit.com/WebTips.aspx?AgencyID=187.