Welikada, Thajudeen, Rathupaswala probes make no headway!

Sep 24, 2017

Investigations into the killing of Welikada prison inmates, Rathupaswala shooting and the murder of ruggerite Wasim Thajudeen are making no headway due to a tug-of-war among the law enforcement authorities and the military.

On 09 and 10 of November 2012, a riot at Weliakada Prison left 27 inmates killed. Two commission reports have been released, one by a lawyer S.K. Liyanage-led presidential commission that gives crucial information about the incident. However, no legal action has been taken so far, while an attempt is alleged to sabotage the CID investigation. The Army is yet to provide a report into the firearms used in the incident, while the CID has so far not received the reports into the deaths of the prisoners, reliable sources say.

SOCO investigators found four T-56 weapons near the bodies of the victims, and recovered 647 empty T-56 cartridges, 27 live T-56 bullets, 91 empty 9 mm cartridges, 14 empty M16 cartridges and one live 9 mm bullet.

Meanwhile, the government analyst has found that 40 firearms said to have been sent by the Army to the Rathupaswala protest location on 01 August 2013 had not been used. Lawyers say this was an attempt by the Army to mislead the courts, and that legal action can be taken over it. Four, including Brig. Deshapriya Gunwardena, have been arrested over the shooting.

There is talk in the legal circles about former JMO Ananda Samarasekara not being arrested so far in connection with the missing bone samples of ruggerites Thajudeen. Also, it has come to light that he had submitted a false report with regard to the bone samples. Legal circles suspect that Samarasekara is getting protection from powerful persons.

The case will be taken up again on the 28th. Legal circles say government leaders should intervene immediately in light of attempts by the military and certain persons in the government to mislead these investigations.

- Shalika Wimalasena