The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) officers have found conclusive evidence to suggest that Prageeth Ekneligoda was detained at Giritale Military Camp, prior to his disappearance, the Police said today.
Prageeth Ekneligoda
Currently a CID team is carrying out investigations in the military camp. They have taken 7 suspects implicated in the disappearance of Prageeth Ekneligoda to Army’s Giritale Military Camp to facilitate the investigation.
The Police said that the CID has unearthed evidence in their current probe at Girithale to suggest that Ekneligoda was kept in the camp as a prisoner.
According to the Police 4 other suspects arrested in connection with the journalist’s disappearance too are to be taken to the camp in the next few days.
The CID was earlier given permission by the courts to take the suspects to the Girithale Military Camp where the missing journalist was held captive.
The Military Police is providing security to the CID team currently in Giritale.
Following the investigations conducted into the case, the CID has arrested 11 army personnel, both currently serving and retired, over his disappearance.
Eknaligoda, was abducted on 24th January 2010, two days before the 2010 presidential elections.
gamini / October 8, 2015
Obviously these Army Officers did not kill Prageeth Eknaligoda because they wanted to, but on the orders of MR and Gota. It appears that both Gota and MR have no escape and they will have to pay for the crimes. These are some of the War Criminals. Is it any wonder why MR and Gota is fighting shy of the probe?
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Tamil from the north / October 8, 2015
@Gamini, I agree 100%. All past crimes committed against the civilians have been sanctioned by the thug rulers of this beautiful country of ours.
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PhD / October 9, 2015
Army officers have no right to kill innocent people whether it was ordered by the higher authorities or not. Nothing will happen to MR and Gota as long as they are in the safe hands of your HERO Ranil Wickramasinghe. You need to influence Ranil if you want those two to be hanged. Till then stop attacking Gota and Mara.
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sam / October 13, 2015
Unless the Sinhalese people, primarily the affected people like Eheligoda’s family, Thajudeens family unite with the affected Tamils, no one will get justice. Instead of fighting the killers independently, the whole country must unite and fight the corrupt politicians.
United we stand, divided we fall. Please unite to free the country of the evil politicians irrespective of their color, blue, red or green for the good of the citizens!! Their interest is to make money and remain in power. They don’t care about the life of the common man!!
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Native Vedda2 / October 8, 2015
This case is a best example for sri lanka judiciary system. This is the main reason why Zeig proposed an Hybrid system for war crimes investigation.
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Shrikharan / October 8, 2015
Will Prageeth Eknaligoda’s family believe now they will have justice served by Sri Lankan judiciary? Never! Sri Lankan Government and the judiciary wants to protect the war criminals, grave mistake. Only an international inquiry with international judges will bring justice to the aggrieved family of Eknaligoda. Only an international inquiry with international judges will bring justice to the Tamil victims of the war.
The Sri Lankan judiciary and its supportive institutions do not have any credibility. The Government was unable to even protect the body parts of Thajudeen who was exhumed for autopsy and important specimens just went missing! To my knowledge no action was taken to those responsible to protect vital evidence. I am sure these people were paid a large sum of money to see these specimens went missing. The criminals involved in the murder of Thajudeen had enough money all got by ill-gotten means and handsomely bribed the employees in the mortuary or wherever the parts were kept. No action was taken against these employees and they must take total responsibility and serve the jail sentence due to the murderers unless they corporate and reveal the main people involved using them to lose the vital evidence.
The Sinhalese must remember they are making a grave mistake by wanting to protect the war criminals who have caused insurmountable harm to the Tamils in the war zones. They are criminals who joined the military to take advantage of the war and are not war heroes. Any decent person in the military will never commit a crime taking advantage of the situation. These criminals will turn against the Sinhalese too and it only then when it is too late after having lost their loved ones will realize the mistake they made to support to protect war criminals. I am sure Eknaligoda’s family would have now realized the folly in protecting the war criminals and trusting Sri Lankan judiciary.
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Douglas / October 8, 2015
gamini: Where are you living? If you are living outside, please remember this is SRI LANKA, and if you are here please understand that IMPUNITY works miracles. Did you see what happened and how it was handled by the CUSTODIANS of our legal system in that case of Rs. 600 million spent on “Sil Redi” from the public funds.That is the way “FORWARD” of Yahapalanaya to Yakapalanaya. Cheers.
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truth finder / October 9, 2015
Basically, we are NOW culturally corrupt!! We have gradually,from Sirimavo era become corrupt as a nation. A nation where the rule of law is a joke!Sirima and Felixstowe started it by killing JVP youth and then interfering in judicial appointments. The impeccable administrative service became a yes sir, no sir culture with changing criteria to appointments in order to take in bum Suckers! The political culture changed with selection of village thugs over educated! Criteria for selection unlike in Singapore (PhD a minimum criterian) became Money, thuggery/ violence no matter how you get it through corruption, thuggery or drug deals!!! We have become a nation that adores these characteristics!! Why should the corrupt, murderers, and drug affiliate pardone come top of the list in the preferential list? Why did the principles of Yahapalanaya which we yearned for so much not work? Again the need for power over principles! Why did the femur of Thajudeen disappear! The polticization of professionals for money and power!! The JMO WHO DID THE POSTMORTEM TOOK IT AWAY! There is ample proof! In a Yahapalana culture he should have been arrested, charged and the medical registration cancelled! Instead I suppose Ranil’s methodology will be to pardon him, change findings to suit prosecution and so on! No wonder one of the people who have a clearence certicate to Duminda as demented cannot be exempted from corruption! ,
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Mohan Bandara / October 9, 2015
CID must get a court order and arrest Gota. The truth will easily come out.
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Mohamed Naufar / October 9, 2015
Disclose GOTHA’s Torture Camps. One camp in Giritale where are the other Ten Camps in which innocent civilians and Journalist were taken and tortured and finally killed.
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Mohamed Naufar / October 10, 2015
No one can arrest Gota! Only an International High brid Court verdict can arrest Gota and put him on the electric chair for the crimes he committed against humanity.
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uncommon man / October 9, 2015
You cannot put the entire blame on Gota and MR. Srilankan soldiers were eagerly carrying out the orders as they were already brainwashed in their childhood by the Mahawamsa theory of eliminating the Tamils at any cost. Nurremburg trials demonstrated that the plea of carrying out orders from the top was no excuse in cases of crimes against humanity.These were hooligans and hoodlums from villages looking for employment.They worked for monthly salaries,carried out criminal acts and are not war heroes.They could not turn away from their primordial habits and had to be thrown out from UN Peace Keeping Force in Haiti for abusing underage children.
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