28 March, 2024

Blog

CID Says Special Unit Under Ex-Director Of Army intelligence Linked To Lasantha Murder

A special unit that functioned under former Director of Army Intelligence, Major General Kapila Hendawitharana has been linked to the murder of Sunday Leader founder editor Lasantha Wickrematunge, the CID told the Mount Lavinia Magistrate today when the case of the slain editor was taken up this morning.

Kapila Hendawitharana

According to the CID, Major General Hendawitharana’s unit has also been connected to several assaults of other journalists during the previous government under President Mahinda Rajapaksa. The CID informed the magistrate that they made this discovery during the investigations into Wickrematunge’s murder. The CID also told Court that Wickrematunge had died from an assault to his head, not shooting and the CID said that the latest postmortem results indicate that Wickrematunge died after a sharp instrument was inserted in his head and pulled out.

In January, the CID questioned Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka, who is a minister in this government, for five hours over the murder. During the interrogation, Fonseka who was also accused of playing a part in Wickrematunge’s murder had gone onto accuse former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa as the main culprit behind the assassination of the senior journalist, who was seen as a strong critic of the Rajapaksa administration.

In November, the Colombo Telegraph reveled how a leaked State Intelligence Service document showed that Gotabaya Rajapaksa had ordered surveillance of the Sunday Leader Editor’s mobile phone, just weeks before he was murdered.

In October, following pressure from President Maithripala Sirisena, who launched a verbal attack against the arresting and remanding of army intelligence officers, the Mount Lavinia Magistrate Mohammed Shahabdeen released on bail Army Intelligence Officer Premananda Udalagama despite his alleged involvement in Wickrematunge’s murder.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Latest comments

  • 1
    1

    This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.For more detail see our Comment policy https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/comments-policy-2/

  • 9
    29

    Who is LW???????????Bloody traitor..

  • 18
    2

    The “DISCOVERY” made by CID has been spelled out in Courts. Did the Magistrate ask the CID to produce the “DISCOVERED” in Courts? In this “Discovery Story” a person is named and an “Outfit” has been found. Are the Courts and Law Enforcement Agencies in Sri Lanka set up to LISTEN to STORIES and make DISCOVERIES or to dish out Justice? A good Law Enforcement in WONDERLAND story to keep the people guessing and to make an END by saying “Everyone Happily Lived Thereafter”.

  • 7
    17

    Better question the uneducated filth on why military would purchase ten cattle humane killers like the one used on Lasantha?
    Who is Lasantha? I’m not afraid of the bloody courts?

  • 37
    6

    What a bunch of cowards? Little girls would do a better job at hiding behind their mothers’ skirts. Than these clowns.

    What kind of mentally-ill, criminals are these? What a shame they bring to our country. Not to mention the sheer brutality.

    Sri Lanka’s Judiciary and law enforcement agencies are being made a total mockery. These lunatics are playing into the hands of those screaming for international intervention in our country.

    Shame on your already corrupt, spineless Yahapalanaya!

    • 18
      3

      Ben Hurling

      “These lunatics are playing into the hands of those screaming for international intervention in our country.”

      If you don’t put your house in order well the next door neighbour and strangers in the street will.

      Why do the people elect the wrong people to govern this island?

      Major General Kapila Hendawitharana has been in the news for different reasons not for securing this island’s borders:

      Former LTTE intelligent operative John Pauline Wellington, the assassin of UNP MP T. Maheswaran was known to have worked for Kapila Hendawitharana.

      Former Intelligence Chief Kappila Hendawitharana And DAN TV Head S. Kuhanathan Under Probe
      Wed, 2015-06-10 08:27
      asiantribune.com/node/87117.

      The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) has questioned former Director General of Military Intelligence Major General Kapila Hendavitharana over the killing of rugby player Waseem Thajudeen.

      Wednesday, May 11, 2016 – 01:00
      http://dailynews.lk/?q=2016/05/11/law-order/81376

      Colombo denies misuse of LTTE funds
      In a rare media appearance, Sri Lanka’s National Intelligence Chief Kapila Hendawitharana on Sunday condemned what he termed a false campaign fuelled by vested interests against the government over its alleged misuse of LTTE assets.

      For several days now influential leaders of the opposition have been talking about supposed misuse of seized LTTE assets by the campaign managers of the President Mahinda Rajapaksa who is seeking a re-election in the January 26 polls.
      http://www.thehindu.com/news, COLOMBO JANUARY 18, 2010

      MILLIONS CREDITED TO EX-INTELLIGENCE CHIEF MAJ. GEN. KAPILA HENDAWITHARANA’S ACCOUNT.

    • 3
      12

      Idiot, how the hell Sri Lanka control and destroy the suicide cadre network who had crept inside Colombo other than using death squads? Are you going to that? Are these journalists going to do tht?

      Thanks to that moron RW’s CFA, more than 200 suicide cadres and LTTE intell people were sent inside south of Sri Lanka and were prepared to do suicide bombs. The next government had to correct the results of the actions of the moronic RW….

      How the hell are you going to destroy suicide terror networks without using death squads?

      • 9
        2

        Gota’s boot-licker Sach,

        Exactly which suicide squad did LW and Kieth Noyar belong to?

        Cheers!

        • 0
          8

          where has it mentioned the death squads killed LW or KN? Are you incapable of reading an article…? It only mentions GOSL used death squads…It is you or your daddy who is going to destroy the suicide cadre network without using death squads?

          Ungrateful idiot!

        • 0
          1

          There is Sunday Leader archives and just check what he used to write…eulogising LTTE

      • 1
        7

        America Briton,
        They all use drones to destroy their enemies, They do not care 2 cents about the civilians getting killed, We had to fight the tooth and nails to save the country from LTTE suicide squads.

        Now the moronic government is using police to do a political witch hunt.

        What a shameful nation. No pride in them!
        They will sell their mother and father for money!
        This is the national trait of Sri Lanka!
        The curse of the nation will come down to these clown political stooge who play into LTTE and Western agenda.

        People voice your opposition against the crack down of our intelligence services.

        They did this once with the Udugampola once and they are doing this again.
        Maithreepala, Get up and save the forces!

        • 2
          0

          Sach & Srinath Gunaratne,

          Let us know if you are not fully satisfied, just licking Gota’s blood-stained boots only.

          We will then send you Basil’s stinking boots, if you wish.

          Cheers!

          • 0
            1

            then who would eradicate the suicide bombers network? Your father? You?

            Dont talk about things you do not understand moron. When you are faced with the most ruthless terrorist organisation which sends its suicide bombers to kill people, there are un official methods state use to eradicate the menace.

            Learn about how world works before babbling like an idiot!

            • 2
              0

              Sach you shamelessly loyal boot-licker,

              There is a difference between warriors of honor and cold-blooded killers.

              Cheers!

              • 1
                1

                what do you think warriors are doing other than killing? Now that RW, Batalanda torturer is a cold blooded killer

                We understand the reality unlike you, RW fan boy who live in an imagined world!

        • 1
          0

          You stand testament to your nation being bunch of serial killers and sexual predators who you celebrate as your national heroes. A truly depraved nation that needs a lot of soul-searching and a true Buddhist enlightenment.

      • 1
        0

        stick to what you know

  • 4
    9

    Rablue’s pet boys run CID working hard to netted big fish by the name of Gotabhaya Rajapaksha it seems. every occasions they failed miserably.let’s see what will happen this time.2020 presidential election propaganda. we may see lots of stories like this in future. for election we have almost three years. when it is getting near and near. fairy tale like this will come up every day,in parliament as opposition leader rablue accused somebody else.now trying hard to remove possible opposition candidate in future election as first accused person is in his pocket.

  • 2
    3

    CID is all f*rt but no sh*t………………………..Walk the talk CID.

    This is all election propaganda leading up to Elections which no one knows whether they will be held.

  • 29
    4

    GOTA is the most dangerous man in Sri Lanka now. Because as a killer and an architect of the killing fields in Sri Lanka, he is being promoted as a presidential candidate for 2020. He is not only an uneducated moron, but also suffering from some inferiority complex triggered by his experience as a petrol shed assistant in US (for his qualification without even GCE Ordinary level he couldn’t get any better job n a developed country like US) and hence displays some vengeance on educated folks in Sri Lanka. Like Premadasa, he has a tendency to do things at his own whims and fancies like an idiot. Gota has notoriously stolen not only billions of dollars from purchasing discarded war planes from Ukraine but also the credit from Sarath F. for strategically leading the last battle against LTTE. So this dangerous man should never be allowed to rise as a presidential candidate. GoTa should be put behind bars or decimated in the same way he decimated Lasantha – we need to see the retribution the same way

  • 19
    2

    This is not a fairy tale. From day one, the prime suspect was Rajapaksa brothers. All five fingers were pointed at them as probable suspects. . Wickrematunga was a prominent editor of a prestigious newspaper the Sunday Leader who was killed by assassins in broad day light a few hundred yards away from an army sentry point. When Gotabhaya was questioned by BBC Hard Talk reporter, Gotabhaya flew into a rage and said that Wickrematunga had been criticising many politicians and influential people, so any one of his countless enemies could have killed him. That was an irresponsible and haugty reply by a public servant. Now, before any such monumental tragedy takes place, Gotabhaya should be arrested for foul murders committed during 2005-2015. Also arrest Dayan Jayatilleka who functioned as the advisor to the Rajapaksa’s family. There is mounting evidence that most of the murders committed during Mahinda Rajapaksa’s dispensation was done on the orders of Gotabhaya. He was the virtual Defence Minister during Mahinda’s rule. Gotabhaya’s name is now touted by Dayan Jayatilleka as the future President and Mahinda Rajapaksa as Prime Minister

  • 19
    1

    To a certain extent the CID has done its job but do we have a competent Attorney Generals Office that can see this through, even then can we trust the judiciary that is still run by cronies of the last government.

    Whose orders were the Army Intelligence following: SF Or Gotabaya?

    Only time will tell.

  • 1
    12

    “…………….. former Director of Army Intelligence, Major General Kapila Hendawitharana has been linked to the murder of Sunday Leader founder editor Lasantha Wickrematunge ………….”

    Kapila was a dedicated professional Lankan Army officer”. He had no reason to kill Lankans – unless some one ordered him to.

    • 5
      1

      KP:
      Dedicated or not he does and should not get a free ride if he followed a criminal order.

  • 1
    8

    So Six Star Sergent Schultz dobbed them in..How cool.

    I am confused. The Sergent told us even as late as last year that he on his own finished off Pirahaparan.

    That was before his new ally , Whskey Madam contradicted the Sergent and claimed iit was 80 percent of her her own.

    Now the Sergent gives eye witness news how Two not just one Major Generals were totally involved in just trying to knock off a journalist and beat up another.

    Wonder who really eliminated Mr Pirahaparan and the Tamil Terrorists.

    • 6
      2

      KASmaalam K A Sumanasekera

      “Wonder who really eliminated Mr Pirahaparan and the Tamil Terrorists.”

      I believe it is

      VP
      Hindian
      USA


      Was it Jegath who chopped him on his forehead?

      Before the chop was it Shavendra Silva who explored VP’s posterior with a hot iron rod?

      • 1
        6

        Dear Native,

        So It is Shavendra who shoved the rod..up the *******.

        Dr Ranil and Mangalan will be tripping over each other to get Shavebra down and give him a gig close to Srikotha.

        BTW have you put your name down alongside Sergent Shultz to give evidence to the Hybrid Judges,

        Then Shavendra wiill have to wait a while to join Dr Ranil & Mangalan..

        • 8
          1

          KASmaalam K A Sumanasekera

          “Then Shavendra wiill have to wait a while to join Dr Ranil & Mangalan..”

          He has already gone quiet. Whether he had snitched the other war criminals while he was serving as “Diplomat” on overseas soil is yet to be known/confirmed, though he was being suspected many moons ago by the Colombo chattering classes (surely you are not one of them).

          “BTW have you put your name down alongside Sergent Shultz to give evidence to the Hybrid Judges,”

          No need, however truth will be out in the open at the appropriate time on inconvenient occasions.

          Why do you adamantly remain a stupid b***s carrier to the clan and cronies?

        • 3
          0

          He already put down his name to give evidence. You should put down your name to bangaledesh embassy to get your citizenship back.

      • 2
        1

        So Native, You are Tamil aren’t you? Not a single Sinhalese say Jagath as Jegath!

  • 5
    3

    The entire Judiciary and the Law Enforcement system are fast becoming a JOKE and the irony is no one cares to fix it. Today I saw a bus driver of the CTB from Kurunegala, who was convicted for the responsibility of causing the death of 14 people 16 years ago has been sentenced to imprisonment of 30 years. How do we explain this 16 years delay in concluding the case? Just yesterday, the case against Tissa Attanayke who was charged for forging the signature of the PM and the President was once again postponed for July and fresh summons were issued on both witnesses. Why? The two witnesses (PM & President) could not attend courts due to other engagements. Isn’t it a simple matter of verifying the two signatures by the Finger Print Experts and taking an affidavit and confirm or reject the charge and make a finish with it? Then take the Rs. 600 million of “Sil Redi” case. Now the AG has decide to charge both the accused (after how long) under criminal law instead of Public Property abuse law. Why? If the money has been withdrawn for an unauthorized purpose and spent on buying “Sil Redi” and one of the witnesses says: “yes I got the Sil Redi and distributed”; what more? Then take Wimal Weerawansa’s case. The misuse of vehicles by his immediate family members who had nothing to do with the Ministry and others in his political party is all in evidence and in records. His defense: “I followed the same procedure used by the former Minister Rajitha Senaratne” is no defense and must not be allowed as a defense. Now how many times Wimal has been remanded and for what? There are many more too exhaustive to list here. No wonder the Justice and the Law Enforcement of the country are very much in QUESTION and subjected to DOUBT for its INDEPENDENCE and EFFICIENCY.

    • 6
      0

      It is a shame to see black coated so called licensed buffoons taking their own time to deliver justice as they wish. Politicians are unable to expedite as they too are receiving favors from these judges. What a shit hole courts are.

    • 7
      0

      Thanks Douglas the problem is what u pointed out. Why cannot our Judiciary and AG office function like professionals. Next to the politicians it is the professionals of this country who have ruined it. lawyers, accountants (who turn a blind eye to corruption during audits) engineers(e.g at CEB all wanting to make a buck), doctors (GMOA and excessive mindless private practice) etc They also do not pay taxes

  • 8
    2

    I think its time to take the mail culprits into custody whether it be SF or Gotabaya otherwise there could be witness tampering.

    SF of course is used to Welikada: Gota can get used to it.

  • 2
    7

    This is compltely political. It looks Sri lankan law enforcement does not have strong individuals. In order to stay in the employment, they do anything politicians say.

    Otherwise, the govt may had had to do some undesriable things during the war. these cases should be classified.

    Ranil wickramsinghe -Ravi karunanayake-Mangala–CBK all the anti-war activists politicians, those who got money from LTTE rump and those who are enemies of Mahinda rajapakse are jailing officials who carried out the orders.

    It is a failure from the law enforcement officials who just bend to these corrupt politicians because these officials probably consider the job above anything else.

    this is why the country is Fked up.

    • 3
      0

      These are Sinhala politicians. As you said f***d up. Let the Muslims or Tamils run the country for a change.

  • 5
    1

    Burt

    “SF of course is used to Welikada: Gota can get used to it.”

    What if a prison riot breaks out or STF is send in by mistake to target certain high value prisoner?

  • 3
    0

    NV:
    “What if a prison riot breaks out or STF is send in by mistake to target certain high value prisoner?”

    If it is these two characters your referring to: then I will take it as a blessing in disguise.

  • 3
    0

    So it is confirmed; In many respect our Sri Lankan ‘Secretary of State’ had/has more powers than the President of the USA. Takes your breath away!

  • 4
    0

    This is just a confirmation of what we already knew was true. I am glad the CID finally arrived at this point. So now what do the players involved in this game do next. The biggest joke of all is that I heard a Sinhalese say the other day that Gotapaya is going to take over the government. He seems to be absolutely convinced that Gota can do it and that this was the best man to run the country. Well I can just see the meeharaka from Polonnaruwa thinking how he can exploit this to remain in power and form an SLFP government. While the other side turns to old Mahinda to hatch a plan to do the same thing. The ideal that the people voted for is well and truly ignored. The poor CID and whom ever else that gets things done end up in trouble. Way to run a country. If this was communist China all these murdering scum would have been rounded up and executed with a bullet to the head by now. But in kapati bass Sri Lanka everyone gets to do the dirty and get away.

  • 1
    3

    Nimal Maharage,
    You suffering from some sort of a complex, you are talking about Gota’s CV, I don’t think you have lived in SriLanka,
    We have had Priminister’s and President’s who did not have a good CV and with all the difficulties they have done great yeoman services to the country.. We don’t know what sort of a moron you are to talk about others in an insulting way . Education is important but action speaks louder. You must be sitting on chair and insulting one of the finest military officers we have had, because you do not have brains to think. (Must be Cow dung inside) Without proving anything because somebody says you just talk about arresting and without trial.. This show your viciousness and personality.

    • 1
      0

      Finest military officer who was known to be allergic to the front lines and ran away to America and lowly employment?

  • 8
    0

    Murder to cover murder.

    “A retired army intelligence officer was found hanging at his home in October with a note claiming responsibility for Wickrematunga’s death.
    But police have said they do not believe the claim and are treating the officer’s death as a murder.”

  • 3
    3

    Memories are short for most people except for a discerning
    few.

    At the time of Lasantha Wickrematunga’s killing, it was
    then Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka who was Commander of the
    Sri Lanka Army.

    What in hell was he doing then? Why is he now saying that
    retired Major General Kapila Hendavitharana (no angel himself)
    killed Lasantha? Hendavithana was then Chief of National
    Intelligence and worked from the Ministry of Defence.

    They are making a song and dance about the arrest of the alleged
    assailants of journalist Keith Noyhar. It is now certain Noyahr will
    not come to Sri Lanka to testify. Therefore, they cannot connect
    the big shark behind the incident.

    Now, they say Hendavitharana. So it is easy to get to Gotabaya
    Rajapaksa, one of the masterminds in the murder of Lasantha. Who
    is the other one?

    Well, well, well, the country will never know when the CID is only doing
    what they have been told to do.

    The innocent lamb that is Field Marshal Fonseka makes an allegation
    and that is headline news in all the media. What did they say of Fonseka
    after Lasantha’s killing. Was he not offended with Lasantha? He he not
    been making contradictory remarks all the time.

    For a government that has lost credibility, here is something to cling on
    to. Gotabaya is no god. He has blood on his hand but the CID cannot get
    him without a short cut. They will not get at Fonseka for his villany too.

    Fonseka is Field Marshal by day and UNP MP by night. How much blood
    this moron has in his hands?

    • 1
      0

      Hello,

      The allegation I have read is that the Rajapaksas with the help of Hendawitharana had a secret group outside the normal chain of command of the SLA; that is plausible, and so Sarath Fonseka might be telling the truth that he didn’t know, even though he was then chummy with the Rajapaksas and he cannot say he is blameless.

      • 1
        0

        Agnos

        There was a six or seven men team which included Janaka Perera, Gota, Fonseka, and others during the height of the 1987 – 1990 JVP/state terror campaign.

        Was it really dismantled or did it evolve into something else, which came very handy when Gota became the nation’s hangman in chief?

  • 0
    0

    When will the authorities bring the architect of the murder before justice, or will political expediency obstruct the process of justice? That is the million dollar question.

    • 1
      0

      “When will the authorities bring the architect of the murder before justice”

      Never.

      If there is another election the chances are that these same murders and crooks will be elected. It is tragic, the majority of Sri Lankan voters are insane, they keep doing the same stupid mistake and expect a different result after the election and keep on complaining.

  • 0
    0

    This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.For more detail see our Comment policy https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/comments-policy-2/

  • 0
    0

    Jenaka,
    You are another stupid idiot, I don’t what job your doing, or living in SriLanka. What you have said is cheep jib.
    Our Present Yahapalnaya president was a Gramasewaka, We are proud of him for way he carries himself during a difficult time in SriLanka, We have had President’s with all sort of backgrounds and we are proud of it,
    You don’t have to be in the frontline with dangling a weapon. The way all three services Army, Navy, Air force and Police were co-ordinated was the most important thing during the LTTE time and which got wiped off, Gota does not claim that he was the hero, only one other person claim’s that he single handedly won the war. It is the joint Commanders presided by the defence minister takes the decisions.
    Gota would have been pump assistant in USA, but he completed his term and left country because of hostile Woman President, he decided return in the hour of need. Please don’t insult his overall credibility’s.

Leave A Comment

Comments should not exceed 200 words. Embedding external links and writing in capital letters are discouraged. Commenting is automatically disabled after 5 days and approval may take up to 24 hours. Please read our Comments Policy for further details. Your email address will not be published.