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| Sunday, 13 January 2002 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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IGP told to hold impartial probe President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga has advised the Inspector General of Police to initiate "an impartial investigation" on the allegations made by SSP Wickremasinghe as reported in the "Sunday Leader" of December 23 and 30 captioned "CBK's Bloody Secrets in the House of conspiracy - by The Insider (page 9 of the edition of Dec. 23) and "Startling Revelations of President Chandrika Kumaratunga's efforts to Shield Murderers of Kumar Ponnambalam and "Satana" Editor Rohana Kumara have been bared" and also to "investigate the fabrication of the letter purportedly sent to me by SSP Bandula Wickremasinghe, as you know that this is a very serious criminal act", states a letter sent by the President to the IGP. The letter sent to the IGP by President Kumaratunga while stating that the information contained in those news items is completely false and fabricated adds that neither had such discussion with SSP Wickremasinghe regarding the alleged murder nor did she solicit or receive any purported report dated September 7, 2000, from the SSP as alleged. "As such the attributions to me in the said news reports are false and inaccurate and malicious and defamatory of me per se and/or by innuendo. I am also of the opinion that the said news items are politically motivated and have been maliciously planted at this point in time for extraneous and collateral purposes", the letter said. The text of the letter in full: 08 January 2002 The Inspector General of Police Police Headquarters Colombo 01 My dear Inspector General On my return to Sri Lanka after my recent overseas visit, my attention was drawn to the contents of the news items published in my absence by the 'Sunday Leader' newspaper in its editions of 23rd December 2001 and 30th December 2001 captioned "CBK's bloody secrets in the House of Conspiracy - By The Insider" (at page 9 of the edition of 23rd December) and "Startling revelations of President Chandrika Kumaratunga's efforts to shield murderers of Kumar Ponnambalam and 'Satana' Editor Rohana Kumara have been bared - show's nuclear bombshell - By The Insider" and SSP Wickremasinghe's damning affidavit (at pages 8 and 9 of the edition of 30th December). The gist of the said articles and/or purported Affidavit are that I allegedly had prior knowledge and/or after the fact as to who was responsible for the murder of late Mr. Kumar Ponnambalam, in January 2000 and the 'Satana' Editor the late Mr. Rohana Kumara in October 1999 based on information allegedly conveyed to me by SSP Bandula (Show) Wickremasinghe orally sometime in August 2000 at a meeting I had with him at "Temple Trees" and that I have chosen to do nothing about this information for over one year. According to the said news items, at the said meeting SSP Wickremasinghe had allegedly informed me that he had information that the murder of the late Mr. Kumar Ponnambalam had been allegedly carried out at the behest of Mr. Mahen Ratwatte; and that a member of the PSD the late Mr. Baddegana Sanjeewa was instrumental in the murder of the 'Satana' news paper editor the late Mr. Rohana Kumara; and that subsequently at my request, the said SSP Wickremasinghe had furnished a confidential report under cover of a letter dated 7th September 2000 to me relating to who was responsible for the murder of Mr. Ponnambalam through Mr. Gonagala, my Private Secretary. I wish to inform you that: i. The information contained in these news items is completely false and fabricated. ii. Neither had such a discussion with SSP Wickremasinghe regarding the alleged murders. iii. Nor did I solicit or receive any purported Report dated 7th September 2000, from SSP Wickremasinghe as alleged. Further Mr. Gonagala has informed me that no such Report was ever handed over to him. Moreover there is no record of the receipt of such a report in my office. I also note that the said purported Report has ex facie not been sent through you or even copied to you as is the practice followed by all officers of the Police or any department for that matter. As such the attribution to me in the said news reports of knowledge of the contents of such a report and/or the identity of who was responsible for the said murders, whether before or after the fact, is false and inaccurate and malicious and defamatory of me per se and/or by innuendo. I also wish to draw your attention to the following salient matters, which may have a bearing on the purported Affidavit of SSP Wickremasinghe. i. In September 2000, I received a complaint that a certain lady who was a beautician was allegedly arrested by the CDB, which was then headed by the said SSP Wickremasinghe. ii. I was further informed that the lady who was arrested was kept at the CDB headquarters where she was tortured and sexually abused, that this was done at the behest of a certain business lady who had paid SSP Wickremasinghe large sums of money. iii. I then directed the acting IGP Mr. Anadarajah to investigate this matter. iv. Sometimes later, based on numerous complaints of corruption at the CDB and violation of human rights, I directed that the CDB be closed down. In the circumstances, I am of the opinion that the said news items are politically motivated and have been maliciously planted at this point in time for extraneous and collateral purposes. The said news items also raise the important issue as to why SSP Wickremasinghe has not caused the initiation of criminal proceedings himself, and whether he has informed you as Head of the Police Department of the said information relating to such murders, which is what he is duty bound under the law to do. This aspect assumes significance having regard to the fact that nowhere is it suggested that I prevailed upon him not to do his duty. As such without prejudice to my rights to initiate whatever legal proceedings are deemed appropriate as regard the said news items: 1. I wish an impartial investigation to be initiated immediately and concluded as expeditiously as possible on the said allegations made by SSP Wickremasinghe as reported in the said Newspaper. 2. I would also like you to investigate the fabrication of the letter purportedly sent to me by SSP Bandula Wickremasinghe, as you know that this is a very serious criminal act. Yours sincerely, Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga. |
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