CDS warned, remanded

Harbouring SLN officer with abduction allegations

November 28, 2018, 11:46 pm 

Police yesterday arrested a junior navy officer who allegedly obstructed photographers and assaulted one of them who were at the Fort Magistrate’s court to cover a high-profile wartime abduction case in which Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne has been accused of helping one of the suspects to flee the country.

A senior police arrested the suspect after photographers had confronted him while he was trying to leave the scene. The suspect obstructed the photographers as Admiral Wijegunaratne left the Fort Magistrate’s court after being directed to come in civvies. The senior most serving officer arrived at the court around 9.00 am yesterday morning in uniform.

Later the Admiral arrived in civvies and was remanded till Dec. 5 pending further investigations.

Fort Magistrate Ranga Dissanayake. while remanding the CDS. noted that the CID hadn’t been able to arrest the suspect on previous occasions due to pressure. Dissanayake also directed the police to inquire into alleged recent assault on Lt Commander Laksiri Galagama, one of the key witnesses in the case.

The Magistrate directed the CID to arrest the Admiral after the court was told that he had allegedly harboured Lt. Commander Prasad Hettiarachchi, one of those SLN personnel allegedly involved in the abductions.

Members of the entire Navy unit that provided security to wartime Navy Chief Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda, including a senior officer in charge of it, were arrested in connection with the 11 abductions.

Police investigations got underway soon after the conclusion of the war following a complaint lodged by Admiral Karannagoda in May 2009.

The incumbent CDS was first requested to appear before the CID last September. He went overseas. He failed to report to the CID on Tuesday, as requested. Instead, the Admiral surrendered to the court yesterday.

ASP attached to the CID B S Tissera told court that Inspector Nishantha Silva investigating the case had been transferred following unsubstantiated allegations made by Admiral Wijegunaratne, at a meeting of the National Security Council (NSC), Chaired by President Maithripala Sirisena on Nov 13, 2018. Tissera said that IGP Pujitha Jayasundera had acted on Admiral Wijegunaratne's request. Alleging that the transfer had resulted in threats to the life of the officer and his family, ASP Tissera told court that the DIG, in charge of the CID, had cleared the officer of accusations directed by Admiral Wijegunaratne as regards his alleged involvement with the LTTE.

ASP Tissera said that the CDS had interfered in the investigation by causing the transfer of the officer conducting the inquiry. According to the CID officer, the former Navy Chief had made false allegations against Inspector Silva.

The Magistrate turned down Admiral Wijegunaratne's request to make a statement in court. President's Counsel Anuja Premaratne appearing for the Admiral was told to advise his client on court procedures.

ASP Tissera further said that though there had been another reason for Inspector Silva's transfer that couldn't be revealed in court.

Attorney-at-law Achala Seneviratne, appearing for the aggrieved party told court that the CDS, in spite of being a suspect in this case, had left the court for when proceedings were suspended for one hour. The lawyer said that several navy personnel in civies had attacked photojournalists outside the court as the officer left court. She asked what the situation would be if the Admiral was given bail.

The Magistrate said that according to a letter submitted by the CID, the suspect had got the investigating officer transferred. The Magistrate said that the court considered the suspect holding such a senior rank shouldn't have acted that way. (SF)