ue, Nov 20, 2018, 11:18 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Nov 20, Colombo: The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of Sri Lanka Police today said the accusation made by the Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) Admiral Ravi Wijegunaratne that CID inspector Nishantha Silva has links with the defeated terrorist organization LTTE, is 'malicious' and an attempt to influence the case against the CDS.Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police (SDIG) in charge of the CID said, the Chief of Defense Staff has informed the Inspector General of Police Pujith Jayasundera that the Officer-In-Charge of the Organized Crimes
Investigation Division of CID Inspector Nishantha Silva is a person with connections to the outlawed terrorist outfit liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
In response to a report issued by the Inspector General of Police, Senior DIG in charge of the CID DWRB Senevirathne in a letter dated 18 November 2018 vehemently rejected the accusation leveled against the Inspector Nishantha Silva.
Senior DIG Senevirathne in his letter to the IGP, a copy of which was seen by the BBC Sinhala Service, asserted that "there was no single piece of evidence or information" linking the senior inspector to the outlawed LTTE organization or to any other illegal activity or crime.
Inspector General of Police, Pujith Jayasundara has acknowledge that he had received the letter from the Senior DIG and he had directed a report to Defense Secretary Hemasiri Fernando.
Inspector Nishantha Silva, who is investigating a number of high profile crimes committed during the previous Rajapaksa government, was abruptly transferred on 18 November by the IGP Pujith Jayasundera from the Organized Crimes Investigation Division to normal duties in Negombo Police Division.
The CID and civil society organizations opposed the transfer and the Officer appealed to the National Police Commission, which is the authority on deciding transfers and promotions of police officers.
Following the backlash, the IGP reversed his decision on Monday (19) and reinstated Inspector Silva in his former post.
Meanwhile, the Senior DIG DWRB Senevirathne's letter to the IGP leveled a serious allegation against Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne.
The Senior DIG Senevirathne in his letter to the IGP said it is very clear the act of Chief of Defense Staff Admiral Ravi Wijegunaratne is "a punishable offense under the Protection of Victims and Witnesses Act" and recommended to immediately take necessary action in this regard.
Police Inspector Nishantha Silva was the officer in charge of investigating a number of high profile incidents that led to an outcry in Sri Lanka during the recent past. Among some of his investigations are the abduction of 11 Tamil youth by Navy personnel in 2008-2009 for ransom, murder of Sunday Leader Editor Lasantha Wickremetunga and attacks on journalists Keith Noyahr, Upali Tennakoon and others.
The CID investigations have revealed that the current CDS Admiral Wijegunaratne has abetted the main suspect in the abduction and murder of 11 youths, former Navy Lieutenant Commander
Chandana Prasad Hettiarachchi to flee the country after he was granted bail in a separate crime.
Colombo Fort Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne ordered the police to arrest Admiral Wijegunaratne after the CID informed the court that there is sufficient evidence against Admiral Wijegunaratne's role in allowing the main suspect to evade arrest.
Senior DIG DWRB Seneviratne in his letter said that Chief of Defense Staff Admiral Wijegunaratne had informed the IGP that Inspector Nishantha Silva had been involved with the LTTE at a meeting of the national Security Council and later over the phone.
Seneviratne's letter states that the "allegation is completely false, baseless and malicious."
"Chief of Defense Staff R.C. Wijegunaratne is a suspect need to be arrested in the case of abduction and murder of persons investigated by Inspector Nishantha Silva," the letter further noted.
The letter further stated that the Chief of Defense Staff alleging the chief officer investigating the case against him of "false, baseless and absurd" charges is an attempt to influence the case.
