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Sent
on compulsory leave on Batalanda Commission findings
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Sent on compulsory leave on Batalanda
Commission findings Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police, Merril Gunaratne and four other high-ranking police officials were sent on compulsory leave on Wednesday, Police Headquarters said yesterday. DIG Gunaratne was the fourth senior most officer of the Police Department. They have been sent on compulsory leave on the findings of the Presidential Commission which investigated the alleged extra-judicial activities at the Batalanda Housing Complex during the height of the anti-insurgency operations against the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) inspired campaign of death and destruction, sources said. Senior DIG Gunaratne was expected to go to Supreme Court against the decision to send him on compulsory leave. IG Police W. B. Rajaguru was not available for comment. The two member Commission comprised High Court judge Dharmasiri Jayawickrema and Nimal Edward Dissanayake inquired into the circumstances relating to disappearance of sub-inspector Priyadharshana of Sapugaskanda police station on or about February 20 1990, the circumstances relating to the arrest and detention of sub-inspector Ajith Jayasinghe of the Peliyagoda police station on or about February 24 same year and the establishment of a detention camp at the Batalanda Housing Scheme of the State Fertilizer Manufacturing Corporation, and the subjection, during the period commencing January 1, 1989 and ending December 31 next year, of the persons detained in such camp, to inhuman or degrading treatment. The four other officers sent on compulsory leave are Senior SP H. G. Wickremasinghe (Director, Terrorist Investigations Department), Wilfred Mahanayake (SP, Western Province, North), SP Ranjith Dharmaratne (SP Gampola) and SP H. Chandradasa (Narcotics). DIG Gunaratne had been informed of the action against him just a day before the Police Department took over the administration of the Narahenpita Police Hospital. He was involved in the taking over of the hospital and also improving facilities there. Police said that DIG Gunaratne was the second senior most officer to be sent on compulsory leave since the People’s Alliance Government came into power. Earlier, senior DIG Mitra Ariyasinghe was sent on compulsory leave. However later an inquiry revealed that Ariyasinghe has not been guilty of any illegal action. At the time he was placed on compulsory leave Gunaratne served as the senior DIG Support Services and was in charge of Transport, Supplies, Buildings, Field Force Headquarters and Reserve Headquarters. He had held several key posts including senior positions in Sri Lanka’s primary intelligence service, the National Intelligence Bureau. Senior SP Douglas Peiris who was also named in the Batalanda Commission managed to flee Sri Lanka and seek asylum abroad. Security sources said that officers sent on compulsory leave were among many others who served in areas affected by violence relating to the second abortive insurgency of the JVP. Meanwhile there was speculation that officers who have been named by the commission which investigated the assassination of actor turned politician and President Kumaratunga's late husband, Vijaya were to be sent on compulsory leave. IGP thanks Merril for police hospital
coming into their hands Inspector General of Police W. B. Rajaguru yesterday thanked Senior DIG Merril Gunaratne for making the ceremony to mark the handing over of the Health Department managed Police Hospital to the Police Department a success. Speaking at the official handing over ceremony at the Police Hospital, Narahenpita the IGP said that there were certain drawbacks in the medical services provided by the Police Hospital under the Health Department management. IGP said that the hospital was managed by the Health Department up to July 1 this year and from then onwards the Police Department had taken over the administration. The Police Hospital which is 35 years old was started as a rural hospital at two different locations at Kynsey Road and Gregory’s Road and now it is permanently housed at Nawala Road Narahenpita. The hospital is now a part of the Police Department. Earlier it was a subsidiary of the Health Department IGP explained. This is an important occasion and IGP Rajaguru expressed his happiness over taking control of the hospital by the Police Department. He said department will take steps to overcome the shortcomings of the hospital at the earliest. The lack of staff was a major problem. The Health Department was reluctant to provide more staff and up grade the status of the hospital, he claimed. He thanked the President for the action taken to remove the unnecessary enclosures in the vicinity. Today the hospital is easily approachable and free of an unhealthy environment, he added. The hospital has been provided with medicine and medical equipment by Aitken Spence and John Keells Holdings Limited. The IGP paid his gratitude to these companies and requested the medical staff, to suggest ways and means to upgrade the services provided by the hospital. President condemns N. Ireland bomb blast President Chandrika Kumaratunga condemned the recent bomb explosion in Northern Ireland. In a message to British PM Tony Blair, the President says, "I am deeply distressed over the recent bomb explosion in Northern Ireland which cost the lives of 28 innocent persons and damaged much public property. The people and Government of Sri Lanka join me in condemning this senseless act of brutality. It is particularly sad that this act of violence has occurred so soon after all those involved in the search for a durable peace in Northern Ireland had signed an Accord in April this year. It is my confident hope that this cowardly act will in no way weaken their resolve to work closely towards achieving this end. My deepest sympathy and those of the people and Government of Sri Lanka go out to all those who are bereaved by this tragedy". Police headquarters yesterday said that Tigers were planning to use explosive laden dolls, sports goods and soft toys to mount attacks in Colombo. In a communique issued yesterday evening, the headquarters said that one such device had been recovered at Kallady recently. Quoting intelligence reports, headquarters said that terrorists were engaged in manufacturing similar bombs in the Kokkadicholai area. Disappearances commission at Mihintale About 180 complaints of disappearances from Anuradhapura, Mihintale, Kahatagasdigiliya, Thirappane, Maradankadawela, Kekirawa, Kirologama and such other places are to be inquired into at the Mihintale Divisional Secretary's office from today (21). In many of these cases allegations are against police and army personnel who were serving in these areas during the relevant period are to be inquired into. Attorney-at-law Mrs. Manouri Muttetuwegama is the Chairman of this commission. At least 20 terrorists and five soldiers died in separate confrontations in the North and East on Wednesday (19), army said yesterday. Twelve soldiers had been wounded in action. Army said that four bodies of terrorists had been recovered along with three-T56 rifles, eight hand grenades, one cyanide capsule, three wheeler, stock of LTTE uniforms and a few other military items. Defence Ministry wanted Captain of Indian
ship questioned Sri Lankan plainclothesmen Wednesday recorded statements of the two senior members of the 17 man Indian crew of the ill-fated cargo ship, ‘Princes Kash’ after informing the Indian High Commission, officials said. "We were informed of the decision to question and record the statements of captain B. N. Karkera and chief officer Ramesh Singh," an Indian diplomat said yesterday morning. Asked whether India would protest, he replied in the negative. "There was nothing to protest about," he said adding that the questioning has taken place in the presence of an Indian diplomat. Sri Lankan government has assured India that both Indians will be sent home in the next flight to Chennai, South India before questioning began. "We wanted to speak to them and clarify some matters," a Sri Lankan official said. "We have not been informed of any charges against Karkera or any other crew member," Indian High Commission spokesman said on Wednesday less than 30 minutes before Karkera and Singh were detained by security officials when they arrived at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) to board Indian Airlines flight to Chennai. Fifteen of the 17 Indians were permitted to leave onboard the Indian airlines flight. Karkera and Singh were escorted to the VIP lounge. After seeing minister S. Thondaman waiting there, the investigators had taken the Indians to a room. A top Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry official said that defence authorities informed the ministry of the decision to record the statements of Karkera and Singh. An Airlanka flight was delayed by one hour to allow the Indians to complete their statements and leave in the late afternoon flight to Chennai. Sri Lankan officials admitted that although their statements were recorded there was no way of going ahead with a detailed investigation into the events leading to the destruction of the cargo ship on August 14 afternoon. Indian sources said that Sri Lankan officials could have recorded their statements in Colombo. "If they made a request we could have made suitable arrangements," diplomatic sources said. India, last Friday requested Sri Lanka to produce evidence whether Karkera or any other member was involved with the LTTE. High Commissioner Shiv Shanker Menon sought clarification after the government suggested that the conduct of Karkera gave sufficient cause for grave suspicion to security forces that he (captain) was acting in connivance with terrorists. Menon, sources said indicated that Sri Lanka will have to produce evidence against Karkera before going further with investigations. Airforce blasted ‘Princes Kash’ less than a mile off the Mullaithivu coast hours after Navy observed the ill-fated ship approximately 14 nautical miles off Boulder Point, Trincomalee. Plainclothsemen who questioned the Indians were expected to meet Defence Ministry officials yesterday. Both Karkera and Singh have told investigators that they did not have any links with the LTTE. Informed sources said that the two Indians repeated what they told the Colombo-based Indian journalists at a briefing held at the High Commission earlier in the day. They have claimed that two boat loads of LTTE cadres had ‘contacted’ the vessel approximately 50 nautical miles off the Mullaithivu coast before boarding it. There had been two Black Tigers among the two dozen cadres who took control of the ship. Later they had been forced to move very close to the coast. At the time Kfirs bombed the ship, the entire crew had been taken ashore. There had been police and service officers in the team which questioned the Indians. "Their presence in the investigating team has been approved by the Defence Ministry," a senior officer said. In the past few years Indo-Lanka relations have improved resulting in India backing ongoing Sri Lankan efforts to destroy the LTTE and restore civil administration in the North and East provinces. "We did not want the recent Mullaithivu incident to create problems," an official said pointing out only the LTTE stand to gain by it. Ven. Piyadassi's missionary role lauded Educational, Social & Cultural Organisation in a condolence message says 'Ven. Piyadassi's role as a Buddhist missionary is great, if not the greatest in recent times. His passing away is an irreparable loss to the Buddha Sasana, and to the resurgent Buddhist world in particular. Ven. Piyadassi's intellectual wisdom, his disposition and demeanour during discourses have been greatly admired by foreign intellectuals. May He attain Nibbana." Delegation from Japan in Sri Lanka A Japanese delegation from KOI Organisation of Hiroshima arrived in Sri Lanka yesterday. The delegation was expected to be here for a week. They were expected to meet Speaker K. B. Ratnayaka. They will also visit the historic Kelaniya Temple and Sri Dalada Maligawa. Gays want govt. to legalise homosexuality A Sri Lankan Gay Group "Companions on a journey" said it had appealed to the government legalise homosexuality. We are victims of harassment, lamented Director of Companions on a journey (Gay and lesbian support organisation) Sherman De Rose. Speaking to local and foreign journalists at Colombo hotel on Wednesday said that people judge us by our actions. This is more important than who we are. If we get harassed people say "it’s our own problem and if we get attacked they say "We provoked it", and if we raise our voices then we are "uttering filth" and we enjoy sex "we are perverts" and if we have AIDS, "we deserve it" and if we talk about our rights "we are stepping out of our boundaries" this is because we are forced to constantly question our own worth as human beings and worst of all we are denied our very existence. Do you understand how deep this wound is?, he asked. He blamed the UN Agencies for not taking any action to support people with alternative sexualities, but lauded the Director of STD AIDS control programme of Sri Lanka and her dedicated doctors for trying their best to understand and do something at least for our communities from a medical point of view. De Rose emphasised that the 2500 year history of Sri Lanka had never denied nor criminlised homosexuality or men having sex with men and women having sex with women until this "ruthless and babaric homophobic legislation" was introduced by the British in 1886. He condemned Sri Lankans who felt that gay men and women were introducing something which was western. He further said through this piece of legislation it was the West which had threatened the lives of gay community in Sri Lanka. We will do everything possible under the sun to scrap this 130 year old piece of "outdated legislation" from our beloved land. Then we could respect and support and ensure that all members of society will live with dignity and respect with human qualities without throwing people out or work places, families and ridiculing them in society. He also said that "Companions of a journey" along with a host of other international organisations will write to President Chandrika Kumaratunga, Minister of Justice Prof. G. L. Pieris, Minister of Youth Affairs S. B. Dissanayake, Minister of Media Mangala Samaraweera and UNP and Opposition leader Ranil Wickrema-singhe, so that there could be a continuous dialogue and at end of day we could be recognised as decent human beings. Sri Lanka wins Emirates Cup in England A magnificent career-best one day knock by Marvan Atapattu steered Sri Lanka to a thrilling five wicket victory over England in the final of the Three Nation Emirates Cup cricket tournament at Lord's here yesterday. |
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