Is ‘Yahapaalana’ govt. too, afraid of Welikada killers?
Jun 30, 2016
A period in which a pack of unmitigated, callous rulers did not value human lives and preyed on them at their will has just passed. But, as a country what we are used to do is to let things pass by or forget them as time goes on. One such instance is the Welikada massacre that claimed 27 human lives within a space of one night, at a place surrounded by a high wall which claims ‘prisoners too, are humans.’
The incident has been written about much, but should be mentioned here briefly.
The then state intelligence chief C.N. Wagista sought the permission of prisons minister at the time Chandrasiri Gajadheera to enter the Chappel Ward where prisoners on death row are being kept, and other wards in order to seize heroin, cannabis and mobile phones. After the minister’s permission was received, the operation began with the support of a team from the STF. The order for the operation came from the then defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, to Wagistra and STF commandant, DIG R.W.M.C. Ranawana.
The STF and the Borella police team that conducted the operation in the afternoon of November 09, 2012 were led by one of the most infamous officers in the police, ASP Sylvester Wijesinghe. In blatant violation of the world accepted norm not to enter a prison carrying firearms, the armed team began the operation amidst objections by prison officers, saying the order came from Gotabhaya.
Sylvester’s operation began with the clear motive of starting a clash, and L ward inmates were assaulted and the team created trouble with the prison officers too. From there, they proceeded to Chappel Ward and started assaulting its inmates too. By that time, prisoners could not stand the treatment being meted out to them any longer and showed their protest. Blinded by the power of the camouflage uniform, but without an iota of brains, the STF ended the operation by cornering the prisoner and unleashing a teargas attack on them. Unable to withstand the onslaught any longer, the prisoners reacted, broke the doors, seized weapons from the STF and that led to a big commotion.
If the operation’s motive was to create a clash, that motive has been achieved by now. A group, armed with the seized firearms as well as those in the armoury, got onto the roof of the prison, while others broke open the doors and tried to getaway in a three wheeler. That ended with the three-wheeler getting riddled with bullets, and all its occupants murdered in cold blood. STF commandant Ranawana too was shot. Eleven prisoners were killed.
By nightfall, the hour of the uniformed killers began. Gotabhaya this time used the Army to bring the situation under control. One of his best pupils, Brig. Shantha Dissanayake, Suresh Salley of Army intelligence and notorious DIG Anura Senanayake were all summoned to the place. Police anti narcotics bureau’s Inspector Neomal Rangajeewa also arrived there.
Rangajeewa is the most disreputable ‘deal maker’ in the PNB. Fearing the revelation of his connections with drug traffickers, this was an opportunity for him to get in the clear. Senanayake, as all know, is a darling of Gotabhaya and one who shouldered any garbage of the Rajapaksas. Armed with a list of names needed to be silenced in order to cover up the sins of the royal family, they came for a hunt.
Shooting their way into the prison, the Army brought things under control, and then began selecting their targets to kill. Rangajeewa pointed out the prisoners who should be eliminated to cover up heroin deals, and Senanayake showed those connected to Rajapaksa contracts, such as the killing of a monk and the stealing of a sword at Kotte Rajamaha Vihara etc. The fate that befell them was to be shot, leaned against a wall on the outside of which was written ‘prisoners too, are humans.’ By dawn next day, 27 prisoners had been murdered.
Setting a thief to catch a thief is complete absurdity. It is pointless to talk about the Rajapaksa period investigations into the Welikada murders, where the killers were the investigators.
However, on 08 January 2015, the gang of murderers was expelled from the top seat as the people wanted justice instead of repression. The Yahapaalana’ government came to power on the strength of thousands of promises for justice.
It is now one-and-a-half-years since the ‘Yahapaalanaya’ gained power. No magisterial inquiry has so far taken place into the Welikada murders. A three-member committee headed by retired judge Wimal Nambuwasam was appointed to investigate and its report was handed over to the prime minister. Recommendations of the report that wanted the investigations handed over to the CID as soon as the inquests were held, were referred to the then IGP N.K. Illangakoon. Going to meet Illangakoon, PNB’s DIG Nalaka Silva and Rangajeewa asked that the probe into the incident be swept under the carpet, as notorious criminals were the ones who had been killed. Illangakoon, a die-hard loyalist of the Rajapaksas, sent the recommendations to the dustbin.
The criminals, who got the Army to murder selected persons in the cold blood in order to cover up evidence for their crimes, are still at large. Gotabhaya who gave the order to kill is preparing to enter active politics soon.
The ‘Yahapaalakayo’ are seeing all these, but are faking that they are sound asleep. The question to be asked is, is the present regime still afraid of these killers? Or else, are these all deals?
