Military officers in serious wrongdoing to be removed 

 Monday, 16 March 2015

We have exposed several senior military officers named in minister Mangala Samaraweera’s black book for carry out instructions of the former defence secretary outside their duties and used soldiers, vehicles, money and other properties of the military to campaign for the former president at the last presidential election.

Eastern security forces commander Maj. Gen. Lal Perera, Jaffna S/F commander Maj. Gen. Jagath Alwis and S/F commander of the central region Maj. Gen. Mano Perera, who are prominent among them, have been removed from their positions with immediate effect in a letter MSB/A/6/1/(APPT) (43) dated 15 February 2015. The soldiers acknowledge this timely and must-do act by the president and the present government.

However, they are surprised and worried by several other officers mentioned in the black book who have either been given new postings or are retaining their previous positions. They include  Maj. Gen. Prasad Samarasinghe (chief-of-staff), Maj. Gen. Mahinda Ambanpola (deputy chief-of-staff), Maj. Gen. Mahinda Hathurusinghe (adjutant general), Maj. Gen. Renuka Udawatte (director general of finance management) and Maj. Gen. Jagath Dias (S/F commander in Mullaitivu), according to reports reaching us.

If no decision is taken soon with regard to these officers, that would not go well with the soldiers and the general public. Also, it will be unfair by Kilinochchi S/F commander Maj. Gen. Sudantha Ranasinghe, Vavuniya S/F commander Maj. Gen. Boniface Perera, eastern S/F commander Maj. Gen. Ubhaya Medawala, as they had refused to do the bidding of the ex-defence secretary outside their responsibilities.

The best action that could be taken regarding them is to send them on retirement on the day they complete their full-quota of three years as a major general, a majority in the Army say.