Assassination of Municipal Councillor
 Last Tuesday was a hectic day for Ariyaratne Silva, the Municipal
Councillor of the Dehiwela Mount Lavinia Municipality. He had lined up
several official assignments that day where his presence was needed.
He was planning to visit the District Engineer's office at Attidiya
to attend to some urgent work. The Engineering section came under the
purview of the Dehiwela-Mount Lavinia Municipality administration.
Ariyaratne Silva was a father of five children and lived with his
family at Sea Beach Road, Ratmalana. He had been a UNP Municipal
Councillor representing the Ratmalana ward for quite some time.
After a hurried breakfast he left home in his Dolphin car around 9.00
a.m. He drove the car himself and arrived at the District Engineer's
office at Attidiya around 9.30. a.m. It was just a half hour drive from
his home.
 After parking his car at the District Engineer's office, the
Municipal Councillor stepped inside the office and was making a
telephone call when something unexpected and terrible happened.
Several employees present at the office told police that a man about
35 years of age, wearing a helmet and a black mask covering his face
came behind Ariyaratne Silva. The man was carrying a T-56 automatic
firearm with him.
Suddenly there was a burst of fire that hit Ariyaratne Silva who
slumped on the floor. Several bullets hit his head and body due to
indiscriminate firing and he was dead in a few minutes. There was blood
splashed on the floor and on the furniture when police arrived at the
scene.
After emptying the magazine the assassin, had boldly put back his
firearm into a bag and walked out of the room. There was a Trail motor
cycle rider waiting for him outside the office. The man then climbed on
to the pillion of the Trail Bike and rode away.
Nobody knew where he was heading. Several employees in the office who
witnessed the brutal cold blooded killing had told Mount Lavinia police
that the assassin bore the hallmarks of a professional. He accomplished
his task with precision and was quite unruffled about it.
Fortunately the other employees in the office were not injured in the
shooting. A team of policemen, from Mount Lavinia police station who
rushed to the District Engineer's office found the Municipal Councillor
sprawled on the ground and dead.
They found seven spent T-56 bullets on the floor. The victim was
fatally wounded by shots fired to his body and head, police said.
However no employee present was able to identify the gunman or the motor
Trail Bike rider. They all had ducked for cover while shots were being
fired.
Headquarters' Inspector, Mahesh Perera told the Sunday Observer the
motive for the killing of the Municipal Councillor was not known and
several police teams had been deployed to apprehend the killer. However
he ruled out any political involvement in the slaying. He said they were
investigating whether the killing was due to personnel rivalry.
According to some, his brother too had suffered a similar fate when
he was shot dead by an assassin at Moratuwa a few years ago. Police are
probing whether the killers had prior, knowledge about Ariyaratne
Silva's impending visit to the District Engineer's office or whether the
killers had waited in ambush, or whether they had followed him from his
home at Sea Beach Road.
Could this be a contract killing? If so who could have done this
dastardly act? Obviously if the victim had arch enemies police will be
able to trace them and ascertain the motive for the slaying.
Mount Lavinia police said that no arrests have been made so far. HQI
Mount Lavinia, Mahesh Perera and OIC Crimes, Nishantha Dias are probing
the murder under the directions of SSP, Mount Lavinia, Willie Abeynike
and SSP Mount Lavinia, K. Arsaratnam.
Meanwhile, several professional assassins have been killed by the
police in shoot outs during the past few months.
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