Former IGP Jayantha Wickramaratne said he had made a statement to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) in 2015 with regard to journalist Lasantha Wickrematunge’s killing and if the CID thought that he (IGP) done something wrong, they could have arrested him then.
He said this in response to a query made by our sister paper Dinamina as to why he had petitioned the court seeking a court order preventing his possible arrest in connection with the murder of Wickrematunge.
“I was the IG at the time of Lasantha Wickrematunge’s murder and the investigations pertaining to the killing were handled by the Mount Lavinia Police,” the former IGP said. “When information we had suggested that there was a military involvement in the killing, I handed the case over to the CID, with the intention that the investigations could be conducted more precisely. The incident took place on January 08, 2009, and while the investigations were progressing under the CID, I retired from the police in June that year, having completed my time. Thereafter Mahinda Balasooriya was appointed as the IG and I don’t know why he handed over the investigations on Lasantha’s killing to the TID [Terrorist Investigation Division].”
Meanwhile, having taken over the investigations once again two years ago after the yahapalanaya government came into power, many files similar to those that were reported missing in the investigations relating to the murder of Sunday Leader Editor Lasantha Wickrematunge, had been discovered in the house of the former Acting Crimes OIC of the Mount Lavinia Police, according to CID sources. The CID had also found several forged documents at the arrested Acting Crimes OIC, SI Sugathapala’s residence.
The former Acting Crimes OIC of Mount Lavinia Police was arrested and remanded on February 2.
However, during the CID interrogation of the Mount Lavinia Acting Crimes OIC, he had not divulged any information regarding the documents that were at his residence. During the interrogation, when the former OIC had been given a break for lunch, under the custody of another officer, he had managed to escape. Upon investigating the two addresses given by Sugathapala, his address was found with the assistance of the Kalutara Police. It was there that the CID had found the missing and forged documents.
Retired Senior DIG Prasanna Nanayakkara was also arrested by the CID on February 14 for allegedly having concealing evidence in the murder of Wickrematunge.
Nanayakkara was the Senior DIG in charge of the Western Province at the time of Wickrematunge’s murder, while Mount Lavinia was under his jurisdiction.
Lasantha Wickrematunge, was murdered on January 08, 2009, in Attidiya, Ratmalana, while on his way to the office.
The CID said further information gathered through the investigations is expected to be produced before courts in the future.