By Colombo Telegraph –
“Basil Rajapaksa conceded to Ambassador (ref B) that the pre-election contacts with the LTTE had taken place. It is not yet established that money changed hands in these meetings or what Kanthan may have done subsequently with the funds.” the US Embassy informed Washington.
Namal Rajapaksa with Emil Kanthan (Center)
“Basil Rajapaksa conceded to Ambassador (ref B) that the pre-election contacts with the LTTE had taken place. It is not yet established that money changed hands in these meetings or what Kanthan may have done subsequently with the funds.” the US Embassy informed Washington.
The ambassador wrote “However, the sensitivity of the Rajapaksas to the allegations is understandable. It is a historical fact that threats by the Tamil Tigers suppressed the Tamil vote not just in the areas they control, but in all districts of the Northeast. Even the suggestion of a deal with the Tigers is anathema to many of the president’s supporters, especially the JVP, parts of which have begun to distance themselves from the Rajapaksas (ref C). It still seems unlikely to us that the GSL can successfully prosecute Alles; the collateral damage to Basil and the other figures in the case would be enormous. Already, the heavy-handed efforts to neutralize Alles, former Foreign Minister Samaraweera and his understudy, Sooriyarachchi, have come at a high political cost and undermined the stability of the government. Alles’ release on bail may be a sign that the parties are again trying to settle their differences. If the new attempt is successful, the story will likely disappear. That said, he is hardly in the clear. Under the emergency regulations passed in December 2006, Alles could be detained again and held on suspicion by successive detention orders.”The Colombo Telegraph found the related leaked cable from the WikiLeaks database which details the secret agreement with the Tamil Tigers to suppress Tamil votes in the 2005 Presidential election. The cable was written on June 14, 2007 by the US Ambassador to Colombo, Robert O. Blake.
Related news to this cable;
Read the cable below for further details;
