President under pressure from Bharathi

Tuesday, 11 September 2012

Sri Lanka’s ambassador to Turkey, Bharathi Wijeratne has given many telephone calls to the President to direct the police not to arrest her son.

Bharathi was the wife of former Minister Mano Wijeratne and is a close friend of the President. Bharathi’s son, Rohan Wijeratne had been involved in a brawl with an army major attached to the army intelligence unit at the car park of Jaic Hilton at around 3.30 a.m. on the 9^th. Public Affairs Minister Mervyn Silva’s son, Malaka Silva had also been involved in the fracas.

Malaka and Rohan have been in the company of five girls and the brawl had taken place following an argument. The major who was attacked had been admitted to the Colombo National Hospital. Bharathi’s son, Rohan Wijeratne has served as the media secretary to Minister Silva and later traveled overseas after Bharathi traveled to Turkey.

An Army Major Is Hospitalised; Mervyn Silva’s Son Malaka Silva Has Done It Again

By Colombo Telegraph -September 9, 2012

Army Major Shri Pradeep was admitted to the National Hospital after being assaulted by a group led by controversial minister Mervyn Silva‘s son Malaka Silva at a five star hotel in Colombo last night, according to a complaint made to the police.

Army Major was assaulted by Malaka Silva, Former Minister Mano Wijeratne’s son and five other persons at the Jaic Hilton car park at around 3.30 early this morning

Police spokesman Ajith Rohana said a corporal who was with the Major at the time of the incident was also injured during the clash. The Slave Island police have recorded a statement from the Army Major who charged that his official pistol had been taken away by the group.

Chaminda Senasinghe and (inset) Malaka Silva

Not unlike his father, Minister Silva’s son Malaka has been notorious for terrorizing Colombo and its nightspots and is also a paid government official in Minister Silva’s Ministry. No one dares speak out against the Silva family due to their connections both with the underworld and their immunity due to presidential patronage.

Malaka’s track record

In September 2007 Chaminda Senasinghe was attacked by Malaka Silva at the Bistro Latino Restaurant and Salsa Bar.

Malaka Silva and two of his bodyguards on November 2, 2006 pleaded guilty to attacking attacking Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) officers who were on a drug raid at a night club in a five star hotel.

Colombo High Court Judge Upali Abeyratne ordered each of them to pay compensation of Rs. 10,000 each and enter into a bond in Rs 100,000 each to be of good behaviour for one year. The accused were Malaka Silva and his bodyguards Sampath Kumara Rajapakse and Prasanna Kumara Suresh. The judge ordered that the compensation be directed to the Police Rewards Fund.

In a direct indictment by the Attorney General the three accused were charged with willfully causing hurt to deter a public servant from his duty. Malaka Silva was charged with intimidating and obstructing the PNB team which went on a narcotics raid with a court order to the night club My Kind of Place at Taj Samudra in the early hours of July 24, 2005.

The accused were indicted with assaulting police personnel including PC R.W. A. Dayan Lasantha – an offence punishable under Section 323 of the Penal Code.

According to the statements given by PNB officers and PNB OIC Buddhika Balachandra at the magisterial inquiry, on the said date the narcotics team, on a tip-off had raided the night club to arrest an ‘ecstasy’ dealer who was said to have been trafficking the drug at the hotel. When the PNB officers who were in plain clothes were leaving the night club after completing the ten-minute raid, Malaka Silva had obstructed them and abused them in foul language. Malaka Silva had allegedly threatened the police officer at gunpoint and assaulted the police officers. Later he had called his bodyguard who was armed with a pistol and attacked the police officers.

The PNB team had allegedly withdrawn from the place as the accused were armed and as they did not want to create a problem there. Later they had complained to the Colombo Fort police station.

The accused had later surrendered to the police station. Ironically two days after the attack former Police Chief, Chandra Fernando, announced the release of Malaka Silva and his mates saying that there was no evidence. Media reported that the police were under pressure not to work hard on the case.

In his attempt to defend his son, Mervyn Silva abused journalists in filth and stated that he knows what to do with the owners of Sirasa and Swarnavahini – two privately owned media outlets.

Earlier in connection with this trial Malaka had also been banned from entry into night clubs after 7 p.m with a warning that if the ban were violated the one million rupee bail on the two persons would be converted to a fine and charged from them. (Sunday Leader September 9, 2007)