ISSN: 1391 - 0531
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Vol. 41 - No 37
News

Mystery over arrest of three suspects

By Asif Fuard

A journalist, a trade union activist and a graphic designer were reported abducted on Sunday night.

Around midnight that day President Mahinda Rajapaksa was woken up to be told by a Minister that the trio had gone missing causing serious anxiety to his family and friends. The President immediately rang Police Chief, Victor Perera and ordered an investigation.

The latter in turn was waking up other senior Police officers in search of the missing trio. The next day there were protests over what was reported as the latest abduction.

It took more than three days for the authorities to make public that the trio had been arrested by the Army (under the ongoing Emergency Regulations) over an alleged conspiracy that they had links with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). No explanation, however, was offered why a state investigating arm did not carry out the arrest in keeping with normal procedures.

Defence Spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella told a news conference at the Media Centre for National Security (MCNS) that Lalith Seneviratne, who had worked for Hiru newspaper and now attached to "Akuna," the official organ of the Railway Services Trade Union, Nihal Senasinghe, a journalist and Sisira Priyankara, graphic artist for the newspaper (and treasurer of the union) had been arrested for engaging in subversive activity. They were picked up in Athurugiriya, Dematagoda and Keththarama.

He said on information provided by the trio, Terrorism Investigation Division detectives had seized six kilogrammes of C 4 explosive, four T-56 rifles, 449 rounds of ammunition, two micro pistols, two claymore mines and 60 electronic detonators.

They were buried in a house in Kalutara. An LTTE interlocutor had paid them more than Rs 1.2 million and helped them obtain the weapons. In another raid thereafter Police had also recovered a pistol in the locker of a resident at Railway quarters". Police believe the group was responsible for a string of simultaneous bomb explosions at Kiribathgoda, Wattala, Nugegoda and Mount Lavinia. Investigations are continuing.

Commenting on the case, the Free Media Movement said in a statement on Friday "the manner in which the information regarding the 'terrorist' linkages of the three trade unionists was made public also raises some concerns regarding the potential for stifling opposition and media freedom in the interests of national security." It said that arresting authorities should follow the due process at all times and that, for instance, family members should be informed about the arresting authority and the place of detention of their relative.

 
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Copyright 2007 Wijeya Newspapers Ltd.Colombo. Sri Lanka.