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| Sunday, 21 March 2004 |
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Gamini Lokuge's gun alleged death weapon Vijaya Kumaratunga assassination was a UNP conspiracy Although the United National Front Government tries its best to foist the Vijaya Kumaratunga assassination, completely, on the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, these days, it was actually President Ranasinghe Premadasa who had been behind the Vijaya Kumaratunga assassination, as disclosed by the Presidential Commission report in this regard, according to lawyers. "We conclude that late President Premadasa was implicated in the Vijaya Kumaratunga assassination according to the evidence before us. He was also involved in suppressing the inquiry on the assassination of Vijaya Kumaratunga" the Commissioners have stated. The Commission has stated further that former Deputy Minister of Defence Ranjan Wijeratne had illegally and improperly interfered in the inquiry. He was also involved in suppressing the inquiry. The Commission states that the evidence discloses an indirect connection President Premadasa and Minister Ranjan Wijeratne had with the Vijaya Kumaratunga assassination. Although a charge is established against them on these facts the Commission desists from arriving at a definite conclusion owing to their deaths. Gamini Lokuge, MP, has been implicated in this incident on the evidence of witness Susantha Dias Dahanayake. According to the evidence of Susantha Dias Dahanayake Tarzan Weerasinghe who had assisted in the assassination had been known to Gamini Lokuge. After the assassination Tarzan Weerasinghe had got foreign employment through a security officer of Gamini Lokuge. Tarzan Weerasinghe had told Susantha Dias Dahanayake that the gun belonging to Gamini Lokuge was used for the Vijaya Kumaratunga assassination. Although Gamini Lokuge was given the opportunity of cross examining witness Susantha Dias, Gamini Lokuge did not ask any questions, the Commission states. He also declined to give evidence. Susantha Dias had no reason to falsely implicate Gamini Lokuge. The commission has stated, that, therefore, it had no reason to have suspicions about the credibility of the evidence of Susantha Dias. However, the Commission has stated that there is no evidence to establish that Gamini Lokuge knew that his gun was used for the Vijaya Kumaratunga assassination. Lionel Ranasinghe alias Gamini alias Tarzan Weerasinghe, a resident of Kalutara were directly involved in the assassination. They had disappeared while they were in the custody of the CID. The commission has stated that there was no evidence as to how far they were connected to the JVP. The Commission report states further that G.S.P. Dharmadasa and A.S. Foernandez who had no connection with the JVP had been accomplices of the assassin. Chapter 19 of the Commission report mentions facts in detail about persons directly or indirectly involved in the assassination. The commission report states that Vijaya Kumaratunga at the time of the assassination was fast becoming popular and was a strong competitor and rival of Prime Minister Premadasa. The Commission says that the manner Premadasa had acted in the investigations on the Vijaya Kumaratunga assassination was slightly suspicious. The Commission gives two reasons for stating so. First is the evidence of Susantha Dias Dahanayake that he would be killed by the CID and not be arraigned before courts because if he is taken to courts he would reveal the truth about the Vijaya Kumaratunga assassination. It is mentioned in Susantha Dias Dahanayake's evidence that Tarzan Weerasinghe had told him that both Minister Ranjan Wijeratne and Minister Gamini Lokuge will have to appear in court if the truth about the Vijaya Kumaratunga assassination is disclosed. Later Tarzan Weerasinghe was killed. The Commission says that Susantha Dias' evidence can be accepted when the manner in which Tarzan Weerasinghe met with his death is considered. Weerasinghe had also told Dias that Wakista took him to see minister Ranjan Wijeratne. The other is the evidence of Police Inspector Piyasena. It is stated in Piyasena's evidence that Bennet Perera told him just before he left the CID that some ministers are involved in this and that he was transferred because he found the truth about the assassination of Kumaratunga. The other suspicious incident was the inclusion of a false news item in the newscast of Rupavahini on the previous night, that is on the 15th of February the day before the assassination that Vijaya made a statement criticising the JVP at the funeral of one Gamini Medagedera of Raddoluwa. Felix Perera who gave evidence before the commission had stated that at this funeral Vijaya Kumaratunga did not make a speech criticising the JVP or not. Perera had stated further that this false news item was telecast on Rupavahini immediately before the assassination of Vijaya Kumaratunga to create the impression that in the public that Vijaya was on a collision course with the JVP. The Special Presidential Commission of Inquiry report on the assassination of Kumaratunga was released in February 1996. Supreme Court Judge P. Ramanathan, was the Chairman of the Commission and the other members of the commission were Supreme Court Judge Sarath N. de Silva (the present Chief Justice) and High Court Judge Dharmasiri Jayawickrema. |
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