Why Did Army Officer Not Mention Details Of Others Involved In Lasantha’s Murder?
October 19, 2016
A private mobile phone operator has been ordered to furnish all call and SMS history details of the retired army officer, Illandarige Jayamanne who committed suicide last week claiming that he had murdered founder editor of the Sunday Leader Lasantha Wickrematunge.
After initial investigations revealed that the phone records of the 51 year old retired Army officer had been erased, the CID which is investigating the case has ordered that all phone records of the army officer be submitted for further investigation.
Meanwhile, Inspector General of Police Pujith Jayasundera has instructed his officers to also obtain assistance from the Forensic and Scientific Investigation units in the case.
On October 14, theretired Army Officer committed suicide in his house in Kegalle. In the letter, the retired army officer requested authorities to release Army Intelligence officer Premananda Udalagama from remand as he had nothing to do with the assassination of Wickrematunge.
However, Jayamanne’s suicide note has raised suspicion, specially in the manner it was written and also why he had failed to name the others who were involved in the case, as at least two motorbikes followed Wickrematunge on the day he was killed.
The suicide note written by Jayamanne, ostensibly in his hand writing according to evidence given by his son is strange at best.
“The letter is written to save the neck of the army intelligence officer Premananda Udalagama, and that is the sole purpose. Whilst he confesses to the murder he says only one other line. Udalagama was not responsible. Strange. It is common knowledge and has been reported repeatedly quoting witnesses that Lasantha was murdered by the Malagala school on the 8th of January 2009 by four motor cyclists wearing black and helmeted. So, Jayamanne mentions that Udalagama was not one of them. He was one. Who were the others???? The retired army officer is silent on that. Is that consistent with someone feeling remorseful? No.” a source closed to the Lasantha’s murder investigation told Colombo Telegraph.
“It is also strange that one powerful person is away from the country when such strange incidents occur. It gets murky. Finally, even if one was to accept the contents in the suicide note as authentic, jayamanne was first an army intelligence officer. So is Udalagama. Are we to accept them as war heroes ? Armed service officers who won the war should not be prosecuted? Even for cold blooded murder??? Or should they, one by one be encouraged to commit suicide?” the source questioned.
