White van is secondary:

Priority is to nab perpetrators - Police Spokesman

by Ranil Wijayapala

Police Spokesman ASP Ruwan Gunasekara said the Police is conducting investigations only on abductions and assassinations and not to ascertain whether the crimes were committed by using a white van or not. What is important for the police is to to nab the perpetrators first and then those behind the crime.

He also said there are indication that certain groups were behind these abductions and assassinations.

Excerpts:

Q:There were concerns among the people that some assassinations and abductions were done by certain gangs in the country during the previous regime. People feared white van abductions and other ransom cases. How far the Police has investigated these incidents ?

A: The Police is not bothered whether the perpetrators of that crime had come in white vans or any other vehicle. For instance, to assassinate Wasantha Soyza in Anuradhapura, a car, three wheeler and a tipper were used. If the assassination of Wasantha Soyza was done by a group who came in a white van it will be highlighted as the re-emergence of white van culture in the country. Therefore it is immaterial for the Police whether they came in a white van, black car or a three wheeler. What is important is to investigate and nab the perpetrators.

Q:But people believed that those crimes were committed by organized groups?

A:There were certain incidents which were committed with the use of white vans. The CID is conducting investigations on those incidents. We were conducting those investigations not putting them into the category as white van abductions but taking them as abduction cases. For instance we are conducting investigations on the abduction of journalist Pradeep Eknaligoda, the abduction of a group of students and youth. It is clear that some of these abductions were done by people who came in white vans. But that is not a fact to be considered as a crime, the crime they have committed is the abduction and the assassination. We are conducting investigations on those crimes but not considering them as white van abductions.

Q:The ongoing investigations have revealed that certain members of the Intelligence Units of the Armed Forces and the Police were involved in those abductions and assassinations ?

A:There is no involvement by the olice in these incidents. Some of the Army and Navy personnel have been arrested over these abductions. Investigations are on going following arrests.

Q:Allegations were levelled that certain groups of the Karuna faction, Pilleyan group or a group led by former Minister Mervyn Silva was responsible for those abductions. Are Police investigations being conducted based on these information?

A:We are not conducting investigations on any of these groups. But there was information to say that certain individuals were behind those abductions and assassinations. For instance, the former Eastern Province Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pilleyan was arrested in connection with the assassination of Batticaloa district MP Joseph Pararajasingham. Apart from that, there is no information to suggest that a group was involved in these assassinations and abductions.

Q:What about the investigations on the military intelligence personnel’s involvement in these cases?

A:Certain Army and Navy personnel have been arrested and some of them are in custody of the Criminal Investigation Department and some have been remanded after producing before the court and some of them have been released on bail.

Q:Some politicians have publicly announced that they were behind some of the assassinations and assaults. For instance former Minister Mervyn Silva made such a statement in public. Did the police record a statement from these politicians?

A: There are certain instances where some politicians make statements that some people are responsible for certain assassinations and abductions. In those instances the police have taken step to investigate these statements. The police cannot arrest people merely on those statements. We are investigating whether he has made that statement based on facts or whether he had witnessed it and then made such a statement.

Q:What would be the outcome of these investigations?

A: The Police will conduct investigations and produce the culprits to court. Then the case will bereferred to the Attorney General Department to file cases in court against those responsible for the incidents. Many of these cases need to be filed in the High Court. The police can only file cases in the Magistrate’s Court .