Attempt to shoot “robbers” who broke into Mandana’s residence

Thursday, 05 September 2013 

It is reliably learnt that there is a 

plan to assassinate the four surviving assailants who broke in to the residence of The Sunday Leader journalists Mandana Ismail Abeywickrema and Romesh Abeywickrema in Bambalapitiya on August 24th.

The police have taken one of the suspects, Pol Ravi to his residence in Avissawella on the 2nd in order to recover a bomb that was hidden there. In the past, several suspects were killed by the police in self defence when they are taken to find hidden weapons and bombs that are in turn used to attack the police.
However, when Pol Ravi was taken to his residence, the police were unable to carry out its assassination plot due to the crowds from the village who thronged to the house after hearing Ravi was brought home. The police had to finally leave the residence with Pol Ravi saying they were unable to find the bomb. The suspects are to be killed after they had said they would reveal the persons who had assigned them the task of breaking into Mandana’s residence. We previously reported that the families of the suspects were facing threats.

The Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe making a special statement in parliament about the incident has asked for the progress of the investigation into the break-in at Mandana’s residence. He has asked for the name and details of the suspect who was killed and the others in custody. He has also said that even over a week has lapsed since the incident, the police have failed to hold an identification parade.

Wickremesinghe has said that the suspects had gone through files belonging to Mandana and Romesh for over two hours.

However, it is now evident that the Defence Ministry is now trying to cover up the incident saying it is an ordinary robbery and is also looking at assassinating the assailants.