How Anura Senanayake extorted from dust tea racketeers!
Jun 22, 2016
We bring this revelation in accordance with the promise given to expose instances of corruption during the Rajapaksa regime by that rogue of a former police officer Anura Senanayake, presently at Sri Jayawardenepura Hospital under remand custody.
On 03 December 2009, STF sub inspector Dharmapriya was informed that a certain gang was extorting money from dust tea racketeers.
A team comprising Dharmapriya led a decoy to the place in question, and four of the gangsters and their vehicle were taken in while in the act of accepting extortion money. The arrested have been identified as Ratnayake Mudiyanselage Nishantha, Parambabe Tilak Pushpakumara, Liyanwalage Malinga Prabhatha and Indika Suresh Anthony de Silva.
This de Silva was a SI serving at the DIG’s office of Senanayake. Searching the suspects, a pistol and 12 live bullets were found from that particular man’s possession. The pistol belongs to SI Premasiri of the CCD. Everyone in the police well knows that this Premasiri is one of the closest followers of Senanayake.
Further investigations were handed over to the CID, which was led by senior DIG Nandana Munasinghe at the time. He conducted investigations holding the suspects for two weeks under emergency laws. Then, the CID made submissions to the Colombo chief magistrate’s court under B 2096/1/2009.
Terrified by the arrest of his men, Senanayake immediately went to the then IGP Mahinda Balasuriya and pleaded with him to release them. But Balasuriya said, “This is secretary’s (Gotabhaya Rajapaksa) order. I cannot burn my hand by getting involved. The secretary personally told me to clean up the dust tea mafia. What you have done was to rob from them. If you can, go to the secretary. I cannot do anything.”
Senanayake managed to meet Gotabhaya and lied to him, “My boys were sent to catch the dust tea racketeers, but they had tricked the STF and gave them money by force.” Having big faith in Senanayake, Gotabhaya told the CID chief to release the suspects. Accordingly, making submissions to the the magistrate’s court, the CID has requested that they be released on bail. Therefore, from 2009 to date, the case remains pending. The released suspects are back in active service.
