CID and the Army Intelligence clash in the Security Council

Sep 28, 2015

The Security Council has given due consideration for the investigations conducted by the CID of the disappeared journalist Prageeth Ekneligoda. Recently there was a severe clash between the two higher officials of the CID and the army intelligence during a security council meeting.

The meeting was chaired by the President, Prime minister and heads of all security divisions.

Senior DIG of the CID Ravi Senevirathna who feigned the attempt of the army chiefs who were trying to slyly label that Prageeth Ekneligoda as a LTTE supporter and emphasized that Prageeth was not a tiger.
The chief of CID explained that from the investigations conducted so far there is no evidence to prove that Prageeth was an LTTE carder, an intelligence member, political carder or an LTTE supporter and said he had kept links only with LTTE regional leaders as a journalist.

The head of Police who vehemently rejected the media reports which stated that Ekneligoda has given lodgings to LTTE carders to explore bombs in Colombo said that it was the same group which abducted Ekneligoda in 2009 for the first time and last due to a political influence.

First time Prageeth was abducted and detained in the Panagoda army camp. The army intelligence has rejected the findings of the CID but failed to provide credible evidence that Ekneligoda had links with the LTTE. The army has all the documents and letters possessed by the LTTE intelligence head Pottu Amman but there is no name of Ekneligoda found in those documents. However the army intelligence has said that it would provide evidences in the courts.

Lieutenant colonel Shammi Kumara, lieutenant colonel Siriwardana, staff sergeant Rajapaksa, corporal Jayalath, retired sergeant major Ranbanda, sergeant major Upasena, retired corporal Ranjith Rupasena, corporal Anurajeewa, two members of the LTTE intelligence Thawendran and Sathya Master has been taken into custody by the CID in connection of the illegal abduction, detention and enforced disappearance of journalist Prageeth Ekneligoda.

According to the information revealed so far Prageeth Ekneligoda was abducted in Colombo two days before the 2010 Presidential Election and the latter was taken to the Girithale army camp and a group of army intelligence officers has questioned him.

Investigations are currently conducted to find who gave instructions for the abduction of Prageeth Ekneligoda’s and during the coming few days a major general in the army is to be questioned. 
The CID questioned the former chief of army intelligence Brigadier Aruna Wanniarachchi for more than six hours last week regarding this abduction.

Police inside information reveals that investigation units would visit two army camps in the first weeks of October and starts its further investigation. Police would obtain a court order to inspect the army camps and the CID would be able to acquire the court order by the 28th of this month. However the CID asserts that it would file case against the ten people so far taken into custody.

Police department say although there is no direct evidence found of the murder of Prageeth Ekneligoda there are clear evidence that his abduction, illegal detention and the murder has been done intentionally. It is learnt that if anybody proves guilty there would be more than 20 years punishment of imprisonment for each person.

Meantime wife of Prageeth Ekneligoda, Sandya Ekneligoda lamented in the media that a senior government official is responsible for the abduction and the disappearance of her husband.