Military Hierarchy Yet To Be Questioned

• Prageeth Eknaligoda Case

By Nirmala Kannangara

The truth behind the disappearance of Lanka e-news journalist, Prageeth Eknaligoda, is now unfolding and vital information is to come to light in the next few days, following the Homagama Magistrate’s directive to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), to take the suspects who were arrested, to the Giritale Army Camp, where Eknaligoda was allegedly kept before his fate is decided.

On the advice of the Attorney General the CID  took the arrested suspects to the Giritale Army Camp, for further investigations. The Homagama Magistrate on September 28 granted permission to enter the said army camp, from October 3 to 13.

Following the arrest of the former LTTE cadre, Sudha, who was taken into custody for the killing of former UNP parliamentarian, Nadaraja Raviraj, the CID detained 11 suspects on evidence unravelled during interrogations. Meanwhile, Police Spokesperson, ASP Ruwan Gunasekera, confirmed that the CID’s visit to the Giritale Army Camp on October 6 with all the suspects that were arrested over the abduction of the journalist who was a critic of the former Rajapaksa regime, for further investigations.

 

Interrogated at Giritale camp

According to ASP Gunasekera, the CID has made an observation where Eknaligoda is alleged to have been kept and interrogated at the Giritale camp. Although the CID is tight- lipped on the fact finding, CID inside sources said that the CID has recorded statements from army personnel at the Girithale camp.

“We believe that they have gone through all the documents that show that they have visited the camp at the time that Eknaligoda was brought in. The camp attendance registry and those who were on leave, and the vehicle registration numbers that had entered the camp during the days the abduction had taken place too, have been obtained.

The permission letters to go 20km away from the army camp too, had been scrutinised, by the CID, who are now in the process of obtaining mobile phone details of certain intelligence officers in the army. Those who have worked in the camp at that time had also been questioned to obtain more details,” CID sources claimed.

Sources, who wished to remain anonymous further said that the CID is now conducting an investigation to obtain an audio tape, where a conversation the LTTE intelligence cadres, who worked hand in glove with the army intelligence unit, had with Eknaligoda at his farm in Dambulla, somewhere in the latter part of 2009.

“This audio tape had been handed over to the then Director Army Intelligence Unit, and the CID is now in the process of obtaining it for further investigations,” sources further claimed.

 

Cadres arrested

It was on Sudha’s information that two former LTTE cadres were arrested, who later revealed the persons behind Eknaligoda’s disappearance. It is also said that these two Sumathipala Suresh Kumar and Sathya Master were attached to the LTTE intelligence unit and it was on their information, Sergeant Major Ranbanda who was attached to the army intelligence unit was arrested in Kurunegala. This was followed with the arrest of two Colonels attached to the army intelligence unit and seven others were taken in to custody.

According to the investigation, the two LTTE intelligence carders were attached to the Karuna faction and it was they who have abducted Eknaligoda from Rajagiriya on January 24, 2010 and had dropped him off at Giritale camp and is alleged to have drowned Eknaligoda in the sea.

Amongst the arrested are Lieutenant Colonel Kumararatne who was in charge of the Giritale army camp, Lieutenant Colonel Siriwardena, Staff Sergeant Rajapakse and Corporal Jayalath.

According to Sergeant Major Ranbanda, who was attached to the Giritale Camp at the time, Eknaligoda was brought for interrogation and after a rigorous interrogation by Major Jagath Wijesuriya, Eknaligoda had been taken away and he (Ranbanda) had not seen the journalist thereafter. He has further confessed as to how a Colonel attached to the same army camp was aware of Eknaligoda’s fate.

Major Jagath Wijesuriya who was in charge of the Girithale camp where Eknaligoda was brought and questioned was later promoted to the rank of  Major General by the then Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa although there were allegations leveled against him (Wijesuriya) for a cattle theft. This promotion is said to have been given because of the friendship the then Defence Secretary had with Wijesuriya.

According to the Police Spokesperson, Ranbanda was in-charge of administrative work at the Girithale camp and giving evidence after his interrogation has stated Eknaligoda had been seen at the Girithale camp after his disappearance on January 24, 2010, just two days before the Presidential Election.

“According to Ranbanda, Eknaligoda had been seen last with a Colonel attached to the Army Intelligence Unit who was well aware of Eknaligoda’s fate,” the Police Spokesperson said.

Meanwhile the connection of the military in the murder of former MP Raviraja has now surfaced as the weapon used for the Parliamentarian’s killing had been given to the killer by one of the Colonel’s arrested for Eknaligoda’s disappearance as well.

According to information received, it was this particular Colonel, now in custody that has given the weapon to Pillayan – the former Chief Minister of the Eastern Province who in turn had given it to one Senevi who is said to be a naval soldier. It was this naval soldier that is alleged Senevi and later a police constable named o have killed MP Raviraj.

Eknaligoda, who is said to have produced a 40 minute documentary portraying Sarath Fonseka’s involvement in winning the war titled ‘the secrets of winning the war’ and a book compiled on Rajapaksa family members involved in politics and holding high posts in the government titled ‘the family tree’ are said to be the reason for the government’s alleged involvement in abducting Eknaligoda in 2010.

With all these revelations, questions have been raised as to who was behind Eknaligoda’s abduction, and his disappearance since 2010, and why the Homagama police refused to take down the complaint, Sandya Eknaligoda, wife of Prageeth Eknaligoda wanted to lodge with the Homagama police, after the abduction, although the Welikada and Thalangama police have recorded the complaint.

It is also revealed that Eknaligoda had been kidnapped on an earlier occasion, where he had been questioned after being tied to an iron rod, with metal ropes, and then having been released in Athurugiriya.

However, the investigators are yet to interrogate the commanding officers of the military, and the country’s defence establishment at the time, about the Eknaligoda disappearance.