World criminal court chief due in SL: Medamulana war criminals get cold feet

(Lanka-e-News-07.Jan.2014, 11.55PM) The US State department had issued a notification that Stephen Rapp the US representative of the International criminal court (ICC) is slated to officially arrive in Sri Lanka (SL) on the 6th. This will be Rapp’s second visit to SL.

Rapp who is visiting SL with a view to conduct a detailed study of the alleged war crimes, the liabilities , the reconciliation measures taken etc. will be leaving the country on the 11 th.

It is learnt that a huge cross section of the government including officials , government politicians, leaders of other political hues and civil organization leaders will be met by him.

Steven Rap is a lawyer of repute of the international criminal court , and is currently a Director of the US senate.

When a war crime court was appointed to investigate the 1994 genocide in Ruwanda , it was Stephen Rapp who prepared the plaint pertaining to the assistance that was rendered by the Ruwanda’s broadcasting station and media towards the crimes committed . In addition Rapp formulated the plaints against the war criminal, Siyara Lyanhi and Liberian former President Charles Taylor.

It is significant to note that in every instance where he filed plaints against war criminals , every one of the criminals faced punishment .

Meanwhile, international monitors say , the US is to present a resolution against Rajapakse regime to the Human rights commission , Geneva in March 2014, and after the Geneva sessions , economic sanctions are to be imposed by US on SL .

The impending tour of Stephen Rapp had made the Rajapakses to get cold feet so much so that Medamaluna MaRa has made a beeline lastday to the middle east on a five day tour to warm his feet and calm his heart beat at least momentarily.

What is 'Ongoing, Ongoing'? 


By Sulochana Ramiah Mohan- January 8, 2014


Ambassador-at-Large of the Office of Global Criminal Justice of the United States, Lawyer Stephen J. Rapp, appeared puzzled yesterday when he saw the website of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC), and questioned what "Ongoing, Ongoing" as stated on the site, in the Action Plan of the LLRC, meant.


When Rapp had asked what the "level of ongoing" of the implementation of
the LLRC recommendations was, none of the officials who had met him had been able to give a suitable answer. He said that implementing the recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) and compensating the victims of war for losses of life and property, would be the best ways to bring about reconciliation between the two major communities. Ambassador Rapp who was the chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, arrived in Sri Lanka on 6 January and is expected to stay till the 11th, during which period he would meet with a broad cross-section of people –government officials, political as well as civil society leaders, to discuss a range of issues focusing on Sri Lanka's accountability and reconciliation processes.


He will be flying to Jaffna today to meet the Chief Minister of the Northern Province, C.V. Wigneswaran, and internally displaced persons (IDPs).
While commending the resettlement programmes of the displaced persons in many parts of the country, especially in Mannar, he had also queried about the IDPs who had been resettled in the houses constructed by non-governmental organizations (NGO) and in houses that had been built with the support of the Indian Government.


The ambassador who is mostly concerned about violations of human rights, and believes in punishing the wrongdoers, had also met the Attorney General (AG) Palitha Fernando, yesterday. The meeting had lasted for one-and-a-half hours. He had made inquiries about the progress into the investigations of the murder of five students in Trincomalee, as well as the killing of 17 staff members of Action Against Hunger in Muttur, during his meeting with the AG.


Officials of the AG's Department had explained the difficulties they had encountered in obtaining evidence on the Muttur incident, and had said it would be also difficult to prosecute anyone without concrete evidence, while assuring Rapp that they will continue with their investigations.
Ambassador Rapp had also inquired about the individuals arrested under the PTA Act and the progress of the trials in this regard. The AG's Department had told him that a number of cases had been taken up; yet there are many suspects who have not been tried due to the complexity of the cases such as suspected links with outside terrorist organizations. He was told 'it is not easy to prosecute them as the cases are full of complexities' and the ambassador had 'accepted' those facts.


Rapp also paid a visit to the Boossa Camp in Galle, yesterday.
Meanwhile, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Parliamentarians, Mavai S. Senathiraja and M.A. Sumanthiran, who had met Ambassador Rapp over dinner on Monday, had brought to the notice of the visiting ambassador, the issue of the mass graves found in Mannar.
According to Sumanthiran, the meeting had given the TNA MPs ample opportunity to brief Rapp on the unresolved humanitarian problems in the North and East.

The elephant in the president’s room

Wednesday, 08 January 2014 

The scheduled official visit of Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapaksa to Israel this week was complicated by an elephant in the room — after Rajapaksa made it known he would like to present his counterpart President Shimon Peres with a pachyderm, as a gift between friends

The idea first came up as arrangements were made for the official visit, scheduled to begin on Wednesday.

Although staff at the President’s Residence were thrilled at the outsize show of appreciation, they were also alarmed at the prospect of finding a place to keep the jumbo Asian mammal, which can weigh in at over three metric tons.

A quick check with the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo led to an agreement in which the animal would be taken in as a member of the existing herd. However, keepers pointed out that moving an elephant from one country to another requires more than a very large trunk.

In addition to a battery of veterinary checks there are international regulations controlling the movement of wild animals around the globe and the entire process was likely to take several weeks.

As a result, there is no formal plan to bring the elephant, but a Foreign Ministry source noted that if the Sri Lankan president announced during the visit his intention to send the gift, it would be warmly received.

Rumors suggest the elephant would be named “Shimon,” presumably for its thick skin.

Courtesy - http://www.timesofisrael.com/

Lasantha Lives On In The Annals Of Modern Journalism In Sri Lanka

By Pearl Thevanayagam -January 8, 2014

Pearl Thevanayagam

When this writer organised a demonstration outside Downing Street along with RSF (Reporters sans Frontieres) and handed a petition to the PM on  Lasantha Wickrematunge’s murder, the Tamils in UK asked why all this concern for one journalist when thousands of Tamils were perishing in Wanni.

How could I express my true feelings for Lasantha’s brave journalism defying the majority Sinhala opinion that every Tamil from the North and East was a terrorist at the time?

It was Lasantha’s brave stance that I visit North and East and bring back news. He also gave me carte blanche to go anywhere I like as long as I bring eye-witness accounts. That was Lasantha and his enthusiasm for hard stories kept me on a permanent high.

He used to confine me into a cubicle to write the story when I returned since he knew my weakness for telling what happened excitedly to my colleagues rather than write it down in time for Saturday publication of The Sunday Leader.

Lasantha Wickrematunge, the Editor-in-Chief of the Sunday Leader was killed 2009. Photo/REUTERS/Dinuka Liyanawatte

I had returned from interviewing Muslim refugees in camps in the East who were hounded out by the LTTE and since I was very hungry I asked Santhanam, Lasantha’s faithful factotum and peon to bring me a buriyani packet from Buhari. Lasantha saw me digging into the meal and snorted, “Just look at Pearl. She will write about the starving refugees until the readers weep but she cannot stop gorging herself on buriyani.”

Much has been written about Lasantha but his success as editor at SL was the support he received from his family and the trust he had in his staff. SL was not just any old weekly; it was the product of a combination of hard work, passion and joy of writing which was not granted to colleagues elsewhere in the Colombo media.

There were times when Lal, Lasantha’s brother, would walk about with a frown on his face and chain-smoking Benson and Hedges since he could not find enough funds to pay us but pay us he did. SL was not funded by the government, huge advertising revenue or businesses. There were rumours that Gamini Dissanayake provided some grants but this writer is not privy to this except hearsay.                        Read More

Israel and Sri Lanka: Orwell Couldn't Have Done it Better

Ron Ridenour Salem-News.com-Jan-07-2014 

Sri Lanka’s genocidal government, client of genocidal Israel, exchanges honors with genocidal victim State of Palestine. There are no two peoples better suited to be fast allies than these victims of genocide.

Gaza children at left, Tamil family on the right.

(COPENHAGEN) - The government of Palestine presented Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa with the “Star of Palestine” the highest award of the State of Palestine, on January 6.

onlanka.com

Israel and Sri Lanka Orwell Couldn't Have Done It Better by nelvely

Lasantha Five Years On

By Lal Wickrematunge -January 8, 2014 

Five years have flashed by since Lasantha was eliminated. Five long years and the Police have failed, nay, they have not been instructed to bring the murderers to court. Lasantha left his imprint indelibly embedded within the print and electronic journalistic history of this country. Those who gave orders to snuff out his probing pen did not envisage that he would continue to have a presence, perhaps larger than life within and outside Sri Lanka.

A brilliant and rewarding legal practice lay ahead of Lasantha, but he preferred the thorny path to seek his joy in the practice of Journalism. Many did not agree with his style. Many more loved him and appreciated that he led from the front on their behalf.  He was fondly called “The Leader of the Opposition”, a soubriquet which ultimately led those in the corridors of power to prevent him pursuing his vocation.

People often ask me what Lasantha’s stand would have been had he lived and was yet the Editor during the last stages of the war. I do not think they intended to be alive at that time and find that question, irrelevant.

His family still grieves. His friends, acquaintances and those who read him each Sunday remember him. Miss him.

He strode with his head held high. He laid down his head in the same manner. The cowardly act that snuffed out his life could not rob him of that dignity. His memory lives on beyond the grave and will endure way longer than those who undid him. Provided a God exists.

MaRa under surveillance of International intelligence division – suspected international drug traffic facilitator
(Lanka-e-News-07.Jan.2014, 11.55PM) The international intelligence division has taken a decision to keep surveillance on the international tours of the Sri Lanka (SL) ruling regime leader , based on reports reaching Lanka e news. This is because the international intelligence division is in receipt of confirmation that Mahinda Rajapakse is providing facilities to the international drug peddlers. 

It is confirmed by now that when he travels abroad his Presidential immunity is taken advantage of , and among the large groups that travel with him as representatives are also drug dealers , and every time he travels to and fro , his so called members of his delegation use that opportunity in furtherance of their heroin deal objectives and successfully have discussions with their heroin contacts abroad.

The most important revelation that was made was in connection with the container load of heroin that was detected in Colombo recently. The FBI secret service of America had informed about the arrival of this container from Pakistan, to the Sri Lanka narcotics Bureau three months before the container was seized in SL.

The FBI intelligence division had been able to track down this information based on the discussions held by a monitoring M.P of Mahinda Rajapakse , a close associate of the Rajapakses and a heroin dealer who accompanied Mahinda on the tour of the Middle east , on which occasion the monitoring M.P. had talked heroin business with an international drug dealer. 

This involvement of the monitoring M.P. was further confirmed when desperate attempts were made by the Rajapakses’ government itself to play down this massive heroin haul (considered as the biggest heroin haul detection in Asia) , suppress investigation and divert the attention from it. 

Moreover , the disappearance of half the massive quantity of this heroin while in the custody of the SL narcotics Bureau itself , which had still not been retrieved so far had further confirmed that the Rajapakse regime is directly linked with the international heroin business. Although these facts may be concealed within SL , they cannot be hidden from international intelligence divisions which are extra vigilant in regard to drug trafficking irrespective of status or position of those involved.

In February a prominent character of the Rajapakse family is due to travel to Europe with no valid reason with a large group of representatives , and if that character linked to heroin dealings arrives in Europe , it has been decided to arrest him. If that happens the image of the country is certainly going to be undoubtedly tarnished permanently.

Meanwhile Mahinda Rajapakse and a contingent left for Middle east Saturday (04) at 10.20 a.m. on a five day tour. Jordan , Palestine and Israel are also countries in his itinerary .They went by a special chartered plane .

Mahinda Rajapakse and his group will be stopping first in Jordan. After meeting the head of that country , King Abdulla , he will be visiting Palestine on a two day tour where he will be meeting Palestine leader Mahamoud Abbas before proceeding to Israel.

Opposition organizer UNP M.P. John Amaratunge , a President’s crony accompanying President is specially noteworthy. John Amaratunge had been traveling with the President earlier too , and he came in for severe criticism from the opposition . Yet he had repeated the same mistake this time too.

Incidentally , the son in law of Amaratunge , Dinesh Werakkody is the chairman of Commercial Bank of which the main shareholder is the government.
There cannot be a more degrading, demeaning , disgusting and deplorable action than this , that is, the chief opposition organizer just when two decisive provincial council elections are around the corner, traveling with a leader of a country who the opposition views as the most disdainful , detestable double tongued leader the country ever had. This is a more disgraceful situation than a couple going on honeymoon where the shameless husband is aware his wife is carrying the illegitimate child of another bastard, yet chooses to go on the honeymoon because he is impotent himself.

The opposition members are anxiously waiting to see what action the UNP leadership council is going to take in this connection.

Who Is Afraid Of Lasantha?

By Raine Wickrematunge -January 8, 2014 |

Raine Wickrematunge

Today marks the fifth anniversary of Lasantha’s murder.  Five long and painful years have passed but apart from producing a few red herrings in a flurry of publicity in the first year and a half-hearted attempt at solving the murder, to date, nothing has come of it.

Following the murder, President Mahinda Rajapakse informed the country a proper and speedy investigation would be carried out on the assassination of ‘his friend.’ He personally assured me the same. “His children need to know the truth” he said at the time gesturing at Lasantha’s 10-year-old son. Five years on, no one can claim that a serious investigation was ever carried out.  It would be safe to surmise that no significant developments in the case would take place in the lifetime of the current regime. If and when those responsible for Lasantha’s cowardly murder are brought to book, it will indeed be a gold letter day in the blood soaked, tear-stained media history of Sri Lanka which has such a deplorable ranking in the World Press Freedom Index.

People talk of development in our country in the form of fine new roads and ornamental parks but these cosmetic changes mean little when you consider that in this same land human rights receive scant regard, those protesting for their rights are fired at and people live in the grip of uncertainty and fear. True development will come only when democracy operates in its purest form. That an honest and unbiased investigation will take place and justice will prevail when a crime is committed is an assurance that those who live in a free land enjoy. Unfortunately that right seems to elude those who live in a land that is democratic by name but where, if you have the right connections, you can get away with the most heinous of crimes.                                                Read More

Politicians and other criminals

Editorial-January 7, 2014,

President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s eldest son and UPFA parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa has managed to end a protest at Bogambara. A group of death row prisoners called off a roof-top fast following a discussion with Rajapaksa. The young MP may preen himself on his successful mission, but, we think, the starving inmates were so desperate to end their hunger strike that they would have listened to even the President’s youngest son and climbed down!

The protesting prisoners demanded that they be either hanged or set free. Instead of making such demands, they should be thankful to successive presidents for sparing their lives. They don’t seem to know what it is like to be hanged! They are lucky that they are living in a criminals’ paradise where laws are in their favour and politicians are partial to them. Else, they would have been pushing up daisies by now!

Self-righteous political leaders have no qualms about condoning extra judicial killings. Many youth have died violent deaths at the hands of governments that resorted to savage methods to quell uprisings. The Matale mass grave is a case in point. We have also witnessed wayside tyre-pyres where many suspects were burnt alive. It was only a few moons ago that a military crackdown on a protest at Rathupaswala, where irate civilians were demanding clean water, left three persons dead and many others injured. But, strangely, politicians responsible for such violence are wary of sanctioning judicial executions!

Scores of savages sentenced to jail for heinous crimes such as rape and murder have walked free during the past few decades thanks to their political connections. The Bogambara prisoners may have thought that since dangerous criminals had been given presidential pardons previously, they, too, should be treated in a similar manner.

While the Kandy prison protest was going on some resentful people argued that anyone who resorted to such methods to win freedom, in spite of the severity of crimes he had committed, should be brought down at gunpoint and beaten in such a way that he would regret the day he was born. We don’t approve of such brutal action against prisoners. Instead, we believe, the political potentates who have created a very bad precedent by abusing their power to release dangerous criminals should be pinioned to lamp-posts and flogged.

Meanwhile, the Bogambara prison officers should be called to account. Inmates couldn’t have gained access to the roof where they staged their fast but for a serious lapse or connivance on the part of prison guards. Prisons stink of corruption and many jailers and their superiors are beneficiaries of wealthy criminals’ largesse. It is because of these bad eggs that prisons are awash with drugs and other banned items. Parties thrown by rich inmates for their cell mates as well as guards are reported from time to time.

Much publicity was given to a recent incident where a ‘ball of narcotics’ was thrown into the Mahara Prison over a boundary wall. Somebody is apparently trying to dupe the public into believing that outsiders are responsible for smuggling drugs into prisons in this manner. But, in reality, narcotics find their way into state pens through prison officers themselves. Drugs have been detected in their pockets and even inside their underwear. If prisons are to be kept trouble free without inmates clambering up roofs and water tanks every now and then to make various demands, corrupt officers have to be weeded out.

Conditions on which the Bogambara prisoners agreed to end their fast are not known, but under no circumstances should the government reduce the sentences of those dangerous criminals. Law-abiding citizens are living in fear of being harmed by robbers, rapists, extortionists, homicidal maniacs and other anti-social elements. It is a crime for the government to aggravate their predicament further by releasing convicted criminals sentenced to death or life imprisonment.

Lasantha My Friend

By Sharmini Serasinghe -

By Sharmini Serasinghe -

Lasantha my friend,

THEY killed off your body,

that was just your shell.

But your Vision and Mission,

no bullet can quell!

THEY scattered your blood,

slaughtered your flesh

and did you away.

This they did,

as your Vision and Mission,

caused them great disgrace!

Thus, strength you have given,

to us, your friends,

who scribe with more fervor,

to bring to an end,

THEY, who are upon us

from the depths of Hell!

Pictures of the memorial service held at murdered Sunday Leader editor Lasantha Wickrematunge‘s gravesite to commemorate his fifth death anniversary today; 

See My palm, I Have Strong Lifeline: Arvind Kejriwal On Security

By IndiaTimes | January 5, 2014

New Delhi:  Terming the use of red beacon as a legacy of British rule in India, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Saturday said he will try to abolish the VIP culture wherever he gets a chance.

"The VIP culture should be abolished from the country. It (red beacon) was a part of British Culture. Angrej Chaley gaye, lal batti rah gaye (Britishers left, red beacon remained). We will try to abolish VIP culture wherever we get a chance," Mr Kejriwal told reporters when they asked him whether he will advise chief ministers of other states to do away with beacons.

"It is an individual's ideology, who am I to give advice? I am a small man, other chief ministers are big people. But we will try to abolish it wherever we get a chance, he added.

To a query regarding his refusal of security, Mr Kejriwal said he wanted to assure the police not to be very concerned about his security.

Showing his palm, the CM said his lifeline is quite long and nothing will happen to him. Mr Kejriwal said he has abandoned his plans to shift to the two five-bedroom duplex flats allotted to him and asked his officers to identify smaller flats.

"Many supporters and friends called me yesterday and expressed their displeasure over the issue of flats. I cannot breach their trust. It is very important and that's why I have decided to forgo them," said Mr Kejriwal.

He added that until the time he shifts to new accommodation he would function from his Connaught Place party's office to address public grievances.

Asking the media to scrutinise his every decision, Mr Kejriwal said he would never hesitate to accept his mistakes.

"Please scrutinise us. Keep us on our toes. I will be grateful to you. We will not hesitate to accept our mistakes," he said.

PTI

SLFP seniors applaud Dayasiri

 Wednesday, 08 January 2014 

SLFP seniors have applauded north western province chief minister Dayasiri Jayasekara for his rermarks in Kobeigane on December 05 that he does not approve of the mud slinging targeting the prime minister and that the entire country knows who is behind that image tarnishing conspiracy.

Several senior ministers of the SLFP have spoken to CM Jayasekara and commended him for his statement, admitting that they themselves do not have the courage or the strength to make such bold remarks. They have promised support, despite any obstacle, to anyone fighting to protect the party. SLFP general secretary Maithripala Sirisena, ministers Nimal Siripala de Silva, Susil Premajayantha, John Seneviratne and prime minister D.M. Jayaratne had been a great strength and encouragement to Mr. Jayasekara during his election campaign.

Expressing his gratitude in recognition of that support, he told public meetings in Kobeigane on January 05, “The present government is doing a great service to the public. However, various allegations are being levelled. Now, it is said the prime minister is involved in drug dealing. You know, not even a small child will believe that. But, a PM’s secretary had given a letter to an institution. If my secretary gives a letter and drugs are found, I am done for. They will say I am involved in drug dealing. Even you come and ask me to give you a letter to reduce the fees of such and such.”

Speaking further, he said, “When this government took over in 2005, there were only 900,000 public sector jobs. Now, it has increased to 1.4 million. In the past, 500,000 jobs had been given. More are being given without stopping. At rural level, roads are being built. Everyone wants carpeted roads. Earlier, when we visited your villages, you wanted pebbles laid on the roads. Now you say no to pebbles and want carpeted roads. Why is that? All the roads in the country are carpeted. All those who criticize carpeted roads look for carpeted roads in the villages. They criticize while travelling on the carpeted roads. That is the situation.”

Exclusive: Leaked Emails From Attoney Hemantha Warnakulasuriya PC To Sonali Implies Rajapaksa Regime Plans To Fix Fonseka For Lasantha Murder

January 8, 2014 

Leaked emails from President’s counsel Hemantha Warnakulasuriya which are in Colombo Telegraph‘s
possession suggest that the Rajapaksa regime tried to use Lasantha Wickrematunge murder investigation for Mahinda Rajapaksa’s 2010 presidential election campaign.

Hemantha Warnakulasuriya

At the end of 2009 presidential election campaign Lasantha Wickrematunge’s murder was being exploited by both presidential candidates, with Rajapaksa and Fonseka trading accusations at each other. The Rajapaksa camp through Ambassador for Sri Lanka in Rome, President’s counsel Hemantha Warnakulasuriya reached out to those close to Wickrematunge including his second wife Sonali Samarasinghe, the Colombo Telegraph learns.

Leaked emails from Hemantha Waranakulasuriya show that he tried to get an official request for an “impartial and thorough investigation” into the death of Lasantha from Lasantha’s family.

After eleven months of the murder, on December 13, 2009, Hemantha Warnakulasuriya wrote to Sonali Samarasinghe; “if you are interested I will do everything possible to bring the murderers to book. If you so wish even I could request the government to have an independent commission comprising of Supreme Court judges or even an international tribunal. But first there must a through investigation by the police. but I need your formal request or approval “

Why did the Rajapaksa regime after eleven months wake up and find that the time is ‘ripe’ for an inquiry into Lasantha’s murder. Was it any less ripe immediately following the brutal assassination?

What the present Regime and the Rajapaksas thought of Lasantha Wickrematunge at the time was abundantly clear. When interviewed by the BBC in the aftermath of the murder, Gotabaya RajapaksaPresident Rajapaksa’s brother and Secretary to the Ministry of Defence giggled into the cameras and asked with derision ‘who is Lasantha?”, “why should we care of (sic) him”.

Why did the Rajapaksa regime want an official request from the family of Wickrematunge at that stage when it ignored all its entreaties for an independent international inquiry for one year.  Surely a democratic government under the Rule of Law needs no prompting to initiate an independent inquiry into a brutal murder.

As Colombo Telegraph has exposed President Mahinda Rajapaksa telling Lal Wickrematunge three times that his brother Lasantha was killed by Former Army Chief Sarath Fonseka. If the former Army General was involved in Lasantha’s murder, one may wonder why he was not prosecuted?

That leads to the belief that President Rajapaksa knows who murdered Lasantha. That would also mean that Rajapaksa, in his function as Minister of Defence, knows who committed murder. If this is the case, why doesn’t he inform [the Criminal Investigation Department] and provide evidence?

We published below the email exchange in full;                              Read More

Hemantha to Sonali

US court defiantly punishes and stigmatizes transnational Eelam govt. Premier Rudrakumaran

(Lanka-e-News-08.Jan, 2.30PM) Eelam transnational government’s so called Prime Minister Visuvanathan Rudrakumaran , a lawyer who with the goal of plundering monies from the Tamil Diaspora , and residing presently in America had been meted out punishment by the US appeal court, New York on many charges of professional misconduct.

When a lawyer in the legal profession is ‘publicly reprimanded, ’ it is to underline their disgraceful acts for which they are publicly brought to disgrace and stigmatized. Though Rudrakumaran had made a request to court to deliver the sentence without making it public , the court had rejected his request., and emphasized it shall be public and a mark of disgrace, so that everyone should know about his misconduct.

In addition to this punishment , Rudrakumaran is bound to continuously obtain 8 hours legal education (CLE) within next year , and he must learn it by physically being present .In other words he had been ordered to learn the law again , as well as told to be present physically ,in order to disallow him from following the prescribed legal education through the internet. This verdict was delivered following a scrutiny by the three bench appeal court again of the report submitted by the grievance panel.

This appeal court , New York is only second to the US supreme court , Washington. The three judge panel was constituted of justices, JosenA. Cabranes, Robert D. Sack and Richard C. Wesley who delivered the verdict against Rudrakumaran.

The fraud committed by Rudrakumaran is a ‘second grade ’crime . His principal business has been , securing refugee status through the US home Ministry , to those Sri Lankan Tamils who arrive in the US when their application for refugee status is declined , after filing action in US court and appearing on behalf of these Tamils to prove they are actually refugees. 

Rudrakumaran who had been collecting monies based on these lines had not been filing action on time after fleecing these Tamils of their monies. During investigations into this 27 such cases , this had been exposed. Not only has he failed to file legal action , but even not returned the monies that he had collected from the clients ahead.

After the US grievance panel had declared that Rudrakumaran is guilty , Rudrakumaran in his answer had stated that he is not an LTTE member nor was he acting against the accepted norms , rather he was acting voluntarily in the interests of the LTTE in conformity with the laws of the US , though an adverse report has been prepared against him considering him as an LTTE terrorist.

The bench of three judges had stated when delivering the sentence , that his tales about the LTTE are of no consequence or concern to them, and the sentence is based on his professional misconduct. Judgment of the panel of three judges was contained in 14 pages , while the report of the grievance panel comprised 13 pages.

Rudrakumaran is a businessman who is a thorn in the flesh of the Tamil political parties who are in favor of power sharing within Sri Lanka.

It is an irony that Kumaran Padmanathan , who had been collecting funds on a massive scale internationally for the last 30 years on behalf of the LTTE ; sent arms and explosive devices illegally to Sri Lanka; conducted illicit businesses including heroin via ships he owned ; and a most notorious number one international terrorist was neither punished nor any attempts made to punish him in SL under any law , yet the US deemed it right to mete out punishment to Rudrakumaran who claimed to be the Prime Minister of transnational Eelam government on relatively less heinous charges.

This verdict passed on Rudrakumaran by US must make our lawless Rajapakse government and its so called patriots (or pariahs?) to hang their heads in shame , for the US verdict had clearly brought out by contrast the Rajapakses’ disrespect for laws in whose hands the sacrosanct constitution and rules of law are playthings , and the true colors of their cardboard patriots like Weerawansa, Champika Ranawake who cannot open their Alligator mouths without a lie dropping , still say US is acting against SL by supporting the terrorists .

Part of the text of the verdict delivered against Rudrakumaran is appended.