News
Probe on death of former airline country manager continues as he is laid to rest
The magistrate visiting the scene at Independence Square. Pic by Indika Handuwala
The funeral of the former SriLankan Airlines Country Manager in Europe whose body was found near Colombo’s Independence Square early Friday morning with a gunshot injury took place at the General Cemetery yesterday, as Police continued investigations into his death.
The victim, identified as Rajeewa Prakash Jayaweera, 64, of Milagriya, Colombo 4 had been a regular columnist to a Sunday newspaper after his retirement from the airline. Preliminary investigations point out to a typed two-page suicide note being left by the victim addressed to his siblings. He was a son of former Sri Lankan ambassador to Germany and one-time senior foreign ministry diplomat, the late Mr. Stanley Jayaweera.
A postmortem examination revealed that the death was caused by injuries sustained from a micro pistol and there were no external injuries caused by another party. A final determination on his death will be made only after a magisterial inquiry, Superintendent of Police Jaliya Senaratne who is conducting investigations said.
SP Senaratne said the brother after receiving the letter the previous day had tried to search for him, but had failed and eventually lodged a complaint with the Bambalapitiya police. He said the purported suicide note left with the deceased’s brother had been handed over to the police to ascertain its factuality.
The note referred to Mr. Jayaweera having a leakage of gel from his spinal cord which will require surgery and failing eyesight. It also refers to personal issues with his immediate family.
Police sources said the first information the Cinnamon Gardens police received was a call around 6.30 a.m. on Friday about the location of the body.
Police who visited the scene had detected a pistol by the body. It was taken into custody. Colombo Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne visited the scene before the body was removed for the postmortem examination. It was conducted by Dr Malith de Siva, from the JMO’s office and in the post mortem report to the magistrate it is stated that the immediate cause of death has been a head injury caused by the discharge of a firearm. There had been no other injury, the report states.
Mr Jayaweera was a country manager for SriLankan airlines for Austria, France and Oman and also a regional manager for another airline later.
Mr Jayaweera’s sister Dushyanthi Jayaweera told the Sunday Times that her brother had addressed a letter to the younger brother mentioning that he was ending his life and the family believed that it was a suicide.
Police were going through the CCTV cameras placed opposite the deceased’s residence which has been locked up, and the cameras at Independence Square where several Colombo residents go for their daily walks and exercise.