The arrest of SSP Shani Abeysekera is a witch-hunt against the highly respected police officer for his work to uncover the truth behind the murder of Wasim Thajudeen, the disappearance of Prageeth Ekneligoda and the abduction of 11 young men by a gang of Navy officers, Counsel for the former CID Director told the Gampaha Magistrate yesterday (20).
SSP Shani Abeysekera and IP Nishantha Silva
SSP Abeysekera was being held under the firearms act, despite the fact that the firearms connected to the investigation are registered to the Sri Lanka Police, in order to ensure he could be arrested on the charges, President’s Counsel Wasantha Navaratna Bandara who appeared for Abeysekera told the Magistrate’s Court.
“There are two reasons for the arrest of Shani Abeysekera. One is the need to save ex DIG Vass Gunewardane who was sentenced to death for murder, the other is to punish Abeysekera for investigating the murder of Thajudeen and the abduction of journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda,” said Navaratna Bandara PC.
When the case came up before the Gampaha Magistrate the CCD also requested for an arrest warrant to be issued for former CID inspector Nishantha Silva who fled to Switzerland a few days after the presidential election in November 2019. The Magistrate issued the warrant and ordered Immigration Department to notify the CCD if Silva arrived at the airport.
Counsel for SSP Abeysekera added that the arrest involved an investigation from 2013 and the documents pertaining to this case were with the Attorney General’s Department. “Even though this case was prosecuted by the AG a representative from the AG’s Department is yet to show up for this case – we had hoped that at least today the AG would send representation”.
Former DIG Vass Gunewardane was successfully prosecuted by the Attorney General for murdering businessman Mohammed Shyam in Bambalapitiya in 2013. Investigations and evidence laid out at Vass Gunewardane’s trial revealed that the former top cop aligned to the Rajapaksa administration had been using police officers and family members to run a contract killing squad. Evidence led at trial revealed that Vass Gunewardane’s contract killing team had been paid Rs 10 million to carry out the murder. The DIG’s son was captured on CCTV footage driving the vehicle in which Shyam was abducted before his murder. The Attorney General continued to defend its case before a 5 judge bench of the Supreme Court which due to return a judgment on Vaas Gunewardane’s appeal against his conviction by a HIGh Court Trial At Bar.
DIG Vaas Gunewardane was running the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) at the time of the incident and his arrest. The CCD has now been put in charge of re-opening a probe into the investigation of the CID’s original Shyam Mohammed investigation.
In August 2019 president of the pro-SLPP National Lawyers Collective Manoj Gamage, irate that the CID investigations had cleared Dr Shafi Shihabdeen of wrongdoing in alleged conspiracy to sterilise Sinhalese women, vowed that Shani Abeysekera then CID Director would “have to wear a jumper” in the future.
Disgraced army soldier and attorney aligned to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Ajith Prasanna posing as a saviour of military officials under investigation for gross human rights abuses being investigated by the CID from 2015-2019 has repeatedly issued threats against SSP Shani Abeysekera prior to the 2019 presidential election. Prasanna accused Shani Abeysekera of “writing the screenplay” for the Ranawiru Dadayama (witch-hunt against war heroes).
An array of rabidly racist Buddhist monks have also been heavily featured on Hiru TV issuing threats against Abeysekera and his CID team including Inspector Nishantha Silva and others. The channel is owned by Raynor Silva the brother of convicted murderer on death row, and former MP Duminda Silva. The CID investigation into the murder of Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra led to Silva’s conviction. His appeal to the Supreme Court was also rejected.
Legal experts believe the arrest of SSP Abeysekera is linked to the new Government’s decision to pardon Vaas Gunewardane and Duminda Silva by discrediting the ex-CID Director and eroding the integrity of the investigations conducted into their crimes. (By Chinthika de Silva)
Ajay / August 22, 2020
GOTA should get his priorities right. He should first discipline the police and the monks – before doing anything else.
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leelagemalli / August 22, 2020
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQzTn_GYFj0
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RAJAPAKSHE SRILANKA – MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO BE NEXT HIGH CRIMINAL STATE of the EARTH.
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The world over to you please react …. innocient masses will have to suffer under RAJAKSHE HIGH CRIMES.
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Murder of Lasantha Wickramathunga – no justice yet – international pressure on the barbarian led govt is indispensible
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Murder of Thajdjudeen Wassim – the style of the murder is brutal going beyond that Jamal Khashogii who was a saudu journalist killed and dismembered the body behind the doors of Saudi Embassy in Istanbul two years ago.
Thajudeen murder was premeditated act of Rajakashe family. That abusive bandit queen MR s wife was complicit in that murder as evidences proved – however penisless SIRISINA did not allow the vicious woman be interrogated at the time, CID made them aware.
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Ekanligoda – was brutally killed or let go missing – by CIRMINAL gotabaya et al – what was behind that was nothing stand against dissidents – which is the nature of them. What happened to DITTA DAMMA WEDANIEEYA ? is not yet clear to us.: ::: That victimized family is in pieces yet today – not knowing whether their father/husband is still alive.
Here too international pressure should be exercised on Rajakshe family.
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Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam / August 23, 2020
Swiss government has refused to hand over IP Nishantha Silva to Sri Lanka. Karma may work the other way by ICC issuing warrant to arrest Rajapakse brothers.
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leelagemalli / August 22, 2020
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1royy3hSt0M
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Bitch s sons filled Parliament is doing well – according to majority of stupid people.
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Ashan / August 22, 2020
He will dare not. He needs the rogue cops who will do his bidding, and the monks are useful tools to divert attention from Rajapaksa crimes.
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leelagemalli / August 24, 2020
Srilanken Population is 22 mio.
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But why at least 50% of them cant obviously see it right ? what is wrong with srilanken people ?
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Why should we allow a brutal criminal family to mislead the innocient masses ?
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How many graduates pass out annually from local universities ? Why cant at least few hundreds of them react going by the facts about the ground realities ?
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Consitutional changes: 19 A is the best ever CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT that made a real change in this country. But just becasue bitch s sons men to allow return to power, why should the stupid masses be abused this way ?
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Easton Scott / August 22, 2020
Who ordered SSP Abeysekera to be arrested on firearms charges? What are the specific charges? Why is the AG ducking this case? Why does the Magistrate not see the injustice in this arrest of one of the best sleuths we have seen in our lifetimes?
In a nutshell, if the goal is to release ex-DIG Agunawardena, who has been convicted and had his appeal rejected by the Supreme Court, we need to ask if this convict was given a fair trial or not. If “yes”, he should continue to stew with his fellow convicts; if “no”, there should be a re-trial, but what will this achieve unless there is new evidence that the trial was cooked? I’m beginning to wonder whether that route will be taken.
If that route is taken, there will be no Justice Prasanna Jayawardena this time around (PJ was on the bench hearing the original case, as well as on the bench hearing the constitutional coup of 2018 case), but sadly that honourable gentleman is not among the living any more…..
Justice Jayawardena died suddenly about 8 months ago. I wonder whether there was any foul play there? Also to this point, was there foul play in some of the other deaths of key personnel who might have had important roles to play in the fortunes or misfortunes of the powers that be?
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rj1952 / August 22, 2020
The AG must have been instructed not to appear in this draconian case as there were no legitimate reasons to arrest and incarcerated the 2 fine policemen who have given a major part of their lives to bring the criminals to meet their fate for the crimes that they had been involved in.
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This present AG is an uncouth unsavoury character with a Veddah’s hair-do behaves as if he’s god’s gift to mankind giving orders to arrest and remand all those who have got into the erroneous paths of these petty-minded crime ogres worse than even the sakkilli Rajapuka tribe.
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I follow and live according to the precepts of Buddhism where one is told not to even hurt a fly.?
These Rajapuk’s are seen at every Buddhist temple hero-worshipping these biased to the core racist saffron-coloured amude clad so-called low-class monks who are nothing but a born disgrace to all the living souls on this wonderful planet where I am privileged to abode in.
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Even if Shani and Mendis file a fundamental rights application to a higher court the judges will be selectively chosen to hear the cases will be given clear cut orders to delay as much as possible and then give a biased judgement favouring the prosecution, in this case, the Rajapuk’s.
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Eagle Eye / August 22, 2020
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rj1952 / August 22, 2020
One also should remember that what you do unto others will be done onto you and you will be bitten where it hurts you most.?-
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Shani, I am there for the two of you all 24 hours of the day, just ask and it shall be done.
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let us all be supportive to save the lives of these 2 fine police officers and I am prepared to contribute in a cash format to a SAVE SHANI FUND.
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Up with SHANI down with the disgraceful disgusting RAJAPUK’s.
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GATAM / August 22, 2020
One law for all.
No Muslim law, no Sharia law, no Vesawalami law, no Kandyan law.
If the government can do it, even most SJB voters will support them.
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Ceylonese / August 22, 2020
Justice is an illusion in an atheistic society with a materialistic view/system of governance.
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chiv / August 22, 2020
Welcome to Virtual and Disciplined Lanka. This is just for starters and you will have more in future. Recent developments in our prosperous and blessed land are 1) The grid breakdown and island in a black out 2) There have been many arrest for drug peddling, graft, illegal possession of arms, connection with under world, bribe and all of them involved were government officers, military/police, security people,white collar criminals and other bureaucrats. These are people who have been running those business and coordinating with politicians and underworld. 3) due to change in regime some of them are now being replaced (like ministers) by equally bad or worse ones who will toe the line. 4) from above article it is obvious DIG Vas was convicted with CCTV evidence (more than evidence it was SSP Abeyasekara,s determination for which he is paying now) where as rest of the hit men were protected / shielded and evidence destroyed /altered (Thaj,Lasantha) by the politicians who gave the orders. 5) The govt policy was passed today without debate or vote , because there was no need to have one. Have Fun.
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Simon / August 22, 2020
At the Trial, the Govt. Analyst Department confirmed that the “Firearms” belonged to the Police. The evidence came from the witnesses, who carried those to ex DIG Vas Gunawardene on his orders. The son of Vas Gunawardene’s vehicle was caught on CCTV abducting the victim. The appeal on conviction was turned down by the SC. The AG prosecuted and got a successful conviction. What more? In relevance, my mind now ventures into the statement made by the present Minister of Justice, at the ceremony held on assuming duties, to wit: one among the four most corrupted Institutions in the realm of Justice system is “Government Analyst’s Department”. Is it wrong for anyone to spell a “Doubt” on the remarks of the Minister of Justice in relevance to this case of arrest of Shani Abeysekera and another Police Officer?
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Lasantha Pethiyagoda / August 22, 2020
There is an interesting article on CT by Prof ANI Ekanayake on how, century after century, voters in almost all elections of corrupt and racist countries have been wrong in electing their representatives. Maybe the essence of that article will sit well with the contents of this report.
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Brihaspati / August 22, 2020
There are few people who should taste prison rice and dried fish for a few years.
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Leading the line would be Rajitha Senaratna, Champaka Ranawaka, Shani Abeysekara. Others like Weliamuna and that Candappa bloke are hiding overseas claiming refugee status.
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Shameless traitors.
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Pala / August 25, 2020
UP is down good is bad bad is good. A lesson to the police do not arrest anyone for murder, drug smuggling, hooch production, bribe taking these are all legitimate actions and businesses of a wonderful society with great moral values. Only arrest, prosecute and incaserate innocent people who may have crossed paths with the rulers of the wonderful society by cooking up false charges. Reward the creativity of police officers who can find new and innovative methods to take revenge. Taking revenge by arresting the innocent is a virtue.Orwille needs to come to Sri Lanka and take lessons and update his famous book. How low can a country sink you ask. As low as it can get to the deepest reaches of hell.
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