CID takes over Kelaniya PS member killing probe
Mervyn denies hand in incident
by Dasun Edirisinghe-January 6, 2013
Investigations into the killing
of a Kelaniya Pradeshiya Sabha UPFA member on Saturday night had been
handed over to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) yesterday,
Police spokesman SSP Prishantha Jayakody said.
He said that no one had been arrested in connection with the incident so far.
A masked motorcyclist shot dead Kelaniya Pradeshiya Sabha ruling party member Hasitha Madawala near his house at Waragoda.
He
was a close associate of Kelaniya PS Chairman Prasanna Ranaweera, who
is at loggerheads with SLFP Kelaniya organiser Minister Mervyn Silva.
After shooting Madawala, the killer had fired into the air before he left the scene, eyewitnesses told the police.
Madawala
succumbed to injuries prior to admission to the National
Hospital.Contacted for comment, Minister Mervyn Silva said that he had
no connection with the murder of PS member Madawala.
"Several
times, some people pointed the figure at me for some incidents,"
Minister de Silva said, adding that all such allegations had been
proved wrong.
He said when former minister Lalith
Athulathmudali was assassinated, most of the people pointed the finger
at President R. Premadasa. "But what happened later?" he asked.
Minister Silva said he condemned all killings as a pure Buddhist and conveyed his condolences to slain PS member’s family.
Till death did us apart
Chairman of the Kelaniya Pradeshiya Sabha Prasanna Ranaweera grieves the
death of his colleague today. President Mahinda Rajapksa visited the
funeral and was thronged by people who urged him to take action against
those responsible. Pix by Gayan Madusanka Hettiarachchi
Kelaniya PS chairman complains of death threats
Kelaniya
Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman Prasanna Ranaweera said today that there had
been repeated death threats made to him and 12 other members of his
council for more than a year, at the instigation of a local politician.The Chairman said that after Pradeshiya Sabha member Hasitha Madawala was killed, he had even complained to the Inspector General of Police and all other persons concerned. Commenting on the shooting incident, he said that the members of his council had to endure many difficulties in addition to death threats.
“We were sometimes harassed on false complaints. We were even taken to court by the police on such complaints. They tried to imprison the slain member on one occasion. We are not responsible for burglaries, nor are we involved in drug peddling. The people are aware of our innocence,” he said.
He said, “We ask the President not to leave room for the fate that befell Mr. Madawala to befall us.”
Meanwhile, President Mahinda Rajapaksa had contacted Mr. Ranaweera this morning and assured him of impartial inquiries. He also assured him that those responsible would be brought to book irrespective of their positions. (Lal S. Kumara)
