13th May 2001

By Alia

Probe in ashes

Police have been called in to probe a mystery 1 a.m. fire in an important Naval establishment that destroyed only a table loaded with files.

These files, insiders say, contained all relevant material connected with an alleged fraud involving millions of rupees. An officer is already under interdiction after a large sum of money was reported missing. Although the money is said to have now re-appeared, the probe which had other ramifications, continued in order to ascertain the alleged involvement of many others.

That is said to include a former spy master in a coastal battle area, now moved to the key establishment. He is said to be a kith and kin of the alleged suspect.

Attention has been drawn to this little hero, a favourite of successive bosses, after it came to be known that the man is a prolific gambler at City casinos. Did he raise cash for his nightly sprees from the alleged racket ? The answer may never be known. Navy officials suspect the cause of the fire was arson. Only the files and the table were burnt down in a place where many other things could have caught fire. Now the investigation has gone up in smoke. How much the Police can unravel remains to be seen. Another Navy probe centres around a reported loss of Rs 2.8 million from the Welfare Fund.

Extension

Former Police Chief, Frank de Silva, last week received an year's extension of service as head of the Directorate of Foreign Intelligence (DFI).

Surprise curfew

The overnight 12 hour curfew

on May 4 seems to have caught many an important person by surprise.

Even Police Chief Lucky Kodituwakku and some of his intelligence top brass were unaware that an official curfew had been declared from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. on May 5.

It seemed to be a secret even for the top man tasked to maintain law and order in the country!

High flyer

Within the short period of four months he took over, the big boss had made two trips. The second came when his men were fighting tooth and nail after a big threat.

Two weeks ago, he made a request to make a third trip, this time to Singapore. But the bigger bosses in the bureaucracy thought it was too much. His request was turned down and the man told to remain in the country at a time of crisis. He is now waiting till the seas are calm for the next trip. This is whilst another had said a polite "no" to seven different invitations.

As one wag remarked, the new big boss wants to earn more air (and not sea) miles as a frequent traveller.

Ding dong battle

A ding dong battle has broken out between an intelligence arm of the government and an investigation arm of the police over the recent incidents in Mawanella.

At least two highest ranking intelligence bosses are threatening to quit, It is over a crisis of confidence, They have complained that their word on how the incidents were triggered have not been accepted.

Rajpal Abeynayake's Column

Editorial/ Opinion Contents