19 March, 2024

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Eran Under Fire For Demanding Safety Of Witnesses In Easter Sunday Attack; HRCSL Requests Maximum Security For Zahran’s Wife

SJB Lawmaker Eran Wickremaratne has been subjected to a barrage of disinformation and attacks after he raised a voice against a dangerous incidence of custodial death targeting high profile suspects and witnesses in state custody.

The campaign of disinformation and mud-slinging comes days after Wickremaratne was interrogated for four hours by the CID on November 16 2020.

Zahran’s Wife

Social media and other sources well connected to the ruling regime have launched a campaign of disinformation claiming that Wickremaratne had admitted to paying Rs 5 million to the wife of Zahran Hashim had been paid Rs 5 million by Eran Wickremaratne. Strongly denying the claim, the SJB MP said that the malicious rumours were an attempt to discredit his work in fighting for justice and the rule of law.

In a letter to the Inspector General of Police and the Commissioner General of Prisons, the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka has also raised concerns about the alarming trend of custodial deaths, echoing Wickremaratne’s calls.

The HRCSL requested the Commissioner General of Prisons to take immiedate steps to increase security measures relating to Fathima Hadiya, the wife of Easter Sunday bombing mastermind, Zahran Hashim after concerns were raised about her safety. The HRCSL letter was copied to the Minister of Health, the Army Chief Shavendra Silva and Health Services DG.

The Commission said that it had received “multiple complaints over the past 48 hours” alleging that Ms Sadiya’s (sic) life was at risk after she gave evidence at the PCoI on the Easter Attacks”.

This concern has been exacerbated by reports that Sadiya has suddenly been infected by the COVID-19 virus and been removed from Welikada Prison to a treatment facility in Welikanda, the letter noted.

HRCSL has requested the Commissioner General of Prisons to inform the Commission of Zahran’s wife’s whereabouts and the authority that is currently in charge of her health situation.

Wickremaratne meanwhile expressed concerns during a press conference on November 11, regarding the bizarre custodial deaths of key suspects and witnesses, citing the example of drug kingpin Makandure Madush who was recently “killed in a shootout with police” and concerns raised about the safety of Easter Sunday Mastermind Zahran Hashim’s wife after she revealed damning information before the presidential commission investigating the bombings. Wickremaratne cited the Colombo Telegraph news report regarding her coronavirus diagnosis and the concerns raised about her safety in light of information she had revealed to the commission in an in camera testimony.

Holding a press briefing Wickremaratne who is a parliamentarian for the main opposition and former state minister of finance, also said there were concerns being raised about safety of former CID Director Shani Abeysekera who has been in remand since August 2020 over his arrest and successful prosecution of former DIG Vaas Gunewardane.

Colombo Telegraph learns that the Easter Sunday Bombing investigation is being closely observed by several foreign governments, including India. Some of these foreign governments have communicated their own concerns about the safety of the witness and the importance of preserving Fathima Hadiya’s testimony to the Sri Lankan Government, Colombo Telegraph learns. Several foreign nationals lost their lives in the bombings and the Governments of the US, UK, Australia and others supported the investigation into the attacks, lending personnel and resources in the aftermath last year.

During his press conference Wickremaratne noted that it was strange that Madhush who had been in custody since May 2019 had suddenly lost his life. There were questions, the opposition MP noted, about whether the druglord had revealed information implicating powerful persons involved in his criminal enterprise, which had led to his death in custody. “Once he gets killed, his testimony is buried forever,” Eran Wickremaratne told journalists at the news briefing. (By Chinthika De Silva) 

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Latest comments

  • 26
    7

    There is nothing surprising here . In the virtuous and lawful land like no other, witnesses , accused, people under inquiry not proven guilty, key witnesses die due to unusual, unexplained or mythical reasons. Who ever questions such acts, will either disappear or get killed in the same manner. When not possible like in case of Hiran , who is a public figure and current parliamentarian, then govt sponsored fake news establishment will be used for character assassination.

    • 27
      8

      We the right thinking dignified people are with Eran W.
      :
      If People of this country, being misled DO protect Rajaakshes high criminals; PAINTING them as clean leaders, why not, other citizens be them alleged criminals or not should NOT be protected ?

      Where is the law – GR made it very clear ONE COUNTRY ONE LAW, but the situation is even much worst than prior to 2015, under Gotabaya Rajakshe.
      :;:
      HOW LONG SHOULD THE PEOPLE OF THIS COUNTRY BEAR THE CURRENT SITUATION UNDER BARBARIC RAJAKSHES ?😌😌😌😌😌😌😌😌😌😌😌😌

    • 15
      4

      Easter Sunday attack mastermind is not Zaharan. It’s Gota. Killing innocents to grab power is nothing new in SL (thrice visited by Buddha). In 2005 Kadirgamar was killed just months before the presidential election. They will sacrifice Wimal months before the 2024 presidential election and put the blame on Tamils and Muslims.

    • 6
      3

      Who ever whatever being said and done recent election s made it crystal clear that whole lot of voter eligible in or home country would prefer most evident men be their leaders.voters were either misled or they should nt be better than the alleged high criminals that are now in leadership. Not an inch of progress made but total stagnation of almost every thing is the case right at the moment not even 10 year olds would nt take minutes to grasp it . No justice, no concessions even in daily needs, no oil price reduction nothing but their loads of huge debts are beyond estimates, but people tolerate their high level corruption????,😉😉😉😉😉😉😉

    • 6
      4

      Why do srilanken leadership make every effort to keep the people in dark in terms of the real danger before the nation ?

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45QjXdYPpaQ

      They keep on talking that they would block IMPORT-EXPORTs. Why dont they discuss it with the experts. JICA or the like world bodies to keep away from srilanka is not a good sign.

      Just because Rajaakshes are IDIOTs by their nature, why should THE NATION fall from the frying pan to the fire ?

    • 3
      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

  • 12
    4

    In Lanka such are known as ” virtuous lawful acts”.

  • 27
    4

    Backboneless Buddhist Sinhala community gave 75% approval for the funding of Saharan by interested political masters in order to carry out the Easter Bombings which targeted Christian born Sinhala, Tamils and western nationals, not the Buddhist Sinhala or Muslims. Unfortunately, Cardinal Malcom Ranjith is not interested in finding the true culprits.

    • 12
      1

      Cardinal MR has other interests.
      Is any political leader interested?
      *
      Who are your “interested political masters”? If you trace Z’s links it can be too embarrassing for many who have a field day speculating at will.
      Indian intelligence can help to a great degree, but does not seem to have been approached so far.

      • 10
        2

        SJ,
        Do you know who are the interested political masters organised the murder of Lasantha, making fake diplomatic passport to Karuna?
        I don’t think that Indian intelligence has any interest to find out who financed Saharan.

        • 6
          1

          What you ask me if I know are stories that did the rounds for a long time.
          However, an offender in several crimes need not be the culprit in some other crime. One cannot charge someone without a reasonable basis involving several factors. Blind speculation takes us nowhere.
          *
          Whether Indian intelligence has an interest or not, in fairness it warned its counterparts here several times. We ignored the warnings. We cannot expect Indian intelligence to volunteer further information. The question is whether we approached Indian intelligence at any time since 21 April 2009. That aspect needs probing.

          • 6
            2

            SJ,
            Is Lasantha murder a story?
            Is Karuna’s fake diplomatic issue a story?
            Who is Blind?

            • 1
              1

              A
              Do not fly off the handle.
              A story does not necessarily mean fiction. I did not question the stories but said that those are old hat. (Please do not read meanings into old hat.)
              *
              By blind speculation I referred to the assumption that an offender in several crimes is necessarily the culprit in another crime.
              Blind speculation is rarely by the visually impaired and commonly by people who jump to the wrong conclusion with eyes wide open.

  • 14
    0

    Taking an alleged criminal to a place in which he allegedly confessed to have hidden firearms, and where he dies in a shootout in an attempt to shoot the police who took him there, is a ‘tale’ often repeated earlier.

    UN rapporteurs like Manfred Nowak have visited, investigated and reported many instances of deaths of alleged ‘criminals’ in custody of police and prisons in Sri Lanka.
    Always, the alleged criminal is NOT HANDCUFFED while being taken.

    • 10
      1

      J
      In India they call it “Encounter Deaths”.
      Many “Naxalites” and Kashmiri militants have met their deaths in ‘encounters’.
      *
      Admittedly, our methods are a bit crude.
      We have forgotten the death of the alleged assassin of Lalith Athulathmudali 27 years ago

  • 17
    2

    Gota’s commissions are ploys to cover up his deep state crimes, protect his accomplices, and kill the witnesses and critics. He’s backed by Sri Lanka’s degenerate media which is behaving like one big troll factory. People have become gullible in this era of post-facts and post-truth politics. Who is Eran Wickremaratne ? Even if Buddha makes a fourth visit to urge Gota not to harm Zahran’s wife because she’s exposing the real perpetrators behind the terrorist bombings – he too would be interrogated by the CID and maligned by the media.

  • 18
    3

    The truth is that Cardinal MR used the Easter Attack to attract votes for Mahinda Rajapakse. No doubt about it.

  • 7
    13

    Sharan’s wife is also a terrorist who willingly supported her terrorist husband and other relatives to kill hundreds of innocent people while they were attending religious services.
    Who made this terrorist a witness is the biggest mystery and what guarantee is there that she tells the truth.

    • 14
      3

      C
      What is your evidence that she was in knowledge of what her husband was up to?
      Let the Police Department and the Attorney General’s Office be the judges of it.
      There is no mystery in making anyone who has made a seemingly true confession a witness.
      If you have good reason to question her credibility, you should have informed the CID promptly and not degraded your story by making it gossip in the CT.

      • 3
        7

        SJ
        Oh, the Police/Intelligence should be fully aware of her involvement.
        And, how could public information be gossip?
        Sharan’s wife and the little daughter were found at the Sainthamaruthu self-blast site, with minor injuries.
        (To my mind, from a shopping bag at the blast site) the Police have come to know that the terrorists have purchased 9 sets of white dresses (skirts + blouses) that normally Buddhist women wear to temples.
        I don’t know the latest development, but, at the time, the Police managed to find only 5 sets of dresses, out of 9.
        That means, 4 radicalized Muslim women terrorists in Saharan’s family circle are at large.
        Then comes the question of 5 sets of dresses found at the Sainthamaruthu blast site.
        Three women were found dead at the site. So 3 sets of dresses could be for those 3 women. 5 -3 = 2. Then who are the other 2 women who were supposed to enter temples wearing white dresses and posing as Buddhist women?
        One, without doubt, should be Sharan’s wife who was found alive at the blast site.
        And, one other woman seems to have escaped before the other terrorists set-off suicide bombs inside the house.
        Sharan’s wife belonging to a close-knit network of radicalized-Muslim terrorists. Needless to say, she is dangerous.

        • 5
          3

          Much public information is gossip-fed and even supplemented by mischievous media, like the tales about the Muslim gynecologist who is being persecuted for years now.
          None of these ‘reports’ implicated the female concerned.
          Conspiracy theories are not good for one’s mental health.
          *
          There is also the additional question: what is in it for the cops or the Gotabaya regime?

          • 3
            3

            SJ
            Lame.

            • 3
              1

              C
              Try a good orthopedic surgeon or a miracle making Evangelist preacher.

    • 8
      3

      Champa @ then tell us why the same theory is not valid for MR ,s wife Shiranthi Rajapakshe? If wives are to be blamed equally, why dont srilanken local media utter anything about POHOTTUWA palace horas wives?😎😎😎😎😎😎

  • 9
    0

    This is the “LATEST” way of solving crimes. “Get Rid” of the key witnesses. Only a “God Father’s Family” assisted by “Law Enforcement” can enforce this method to “Reduce” the caseload of Courts. Even in the “Malwana” case against Basil R and Thiru Nadesan, the “Key Witness” is reported to be suffering from “Loss Of Memory”. At the recent hearing of the case, Basil R reported “SICK” and it was postponed, perhaps until that “Key” witness’s situation gets worsened. So anyone who seeks “Witness Protection” could be named a “Hindrance” to the execution of Justice in Rajapakse Way.

    • 6
      2

      Simon@
      Can there be a huge property without an owner? .if yes it should be valid to cooko land srilanka 😎😎😎
      If owner of Mslwana idama is not Basil et al? Who is the real owner? Why can nt a junior lawyer express the truth yet? Is that not because of the threat for their lives????? This is btw not a complex question but why do srilanken justice system take unnecessary amount of time to utter the truth?😎😎😎😎😎😎 We would undeserved if a mysterious murder could take long but why srilankens let courts to play with them this way? Elephant is in the room but media mafia has no guts to call a spade a spade why?😎😉😎😉😎😉😎😉😎😉

      • 4
        3

        Who is the owner of malwana castle? Is that a big question that would need years to clarify? That alone is the biggest proof making everyone with some sanity to see srilanken justice system is in favour of mlechcha Rajapakshe 😉😉😉😉😉😉😉😉😉😉😉😉

  • 6
    16

    There is a concerted effort by Tamil Diaspora to link President Gotabhaya Rajapakshe to the terrorist attack by Wahabi Muslims. There are a number of guys in this forum who keep on repeating this assuming that Goebel’s Theory might work.
    These dumbos do not have the brain to think why the hell dong keys in ‘Jadapalana’ Government who had prior knowledge about the attack allowed the attack to go ahead if that will benefit Gotabhaya Rajapakshe to win the Presidential election?
    Brainless guys cooking up lies to tarnish the image of President Gotabhaya Rajapakshe because of their hatred towards Rajapakshes for defeating LTTE.

    • 4
      1

      Despite defeating the LTTE Rajapaksas lost the elections in 2015 didn’t they? Although the government was informed of the attack they did not know who would carry out the attack. The individuals. That was only known to Gota. Foolish Sinhala Christians voted for Gota instead of SJB. Otherwise Gota would not have won. More than one year in power still no one was arrested in addition to the lot the last regime arrested. How can he! Did he at least visit the bombed out places? No. Guilt!

      If ISIS or any other group carried out the attack by their own free will the target would not be churches but temples. Rajapaksa Buddhist mobs killed Muslims in the Aluthgama, Beruwala, Gintota, Digana, etc. riots. Why were Christians targeted? Because Gota wanted it that way to shift their voting.

      • 3
        6

        Gatam,
        The first Sinhala Muslim riot took place at Gampola in 1915 because Muslims attacked a Buddhist ‘Perahera’. Muslims collaborated with British and created the problem which ended up by killing hundreds of Sinhalayo by British/Muslim/Tamil soldiers.
        In all the cases of recent conflicts between Sinhalayo and Muslims the first stone was thrown by Muslims. They create the problem and when Sinhalayo react very cleverly put the blame on Sinhala Buddhists to give the impression to the world that majority Sinhala Buddhists are violent and harassing minority Muslims.

        India had provided the names, ID numbers and phone numbers of the attackers to the Government. They just ignored.

        Rajapakshes are not that mean to come to power on dead bodies. My guess is Ranil allowed the attack to go ahead assuming that there will be a massive backlash killing Muslims so that he can use that as an excuse to postpone election indefinitely and stay in power. ‘Regime Change’ mafia wanted to keep Ranil in power at any cost.

        • 3
          2

          EE, that is your version of events. The real question is – was there a Muslim – Christian (both Sinhala and Tamil) issue in SL? NO. The only people who rioted against Muslims in 2015, 2013, 2014, 2018 and 2019 are the Buddhists. Then why were Christian churches attacked and not Buddhist temples? The answer is Gota.

          • 3
            6

            GATAM,
            Did you hear what Rishad told to the PC yesterday? He said a powerful foreign country was behind the Wahabi Muslim attack.
            If Gotabhaya Rajapakshe was behind the attack he would have instructed to attack a church as well as a temple.
            Christians have been targeted as a reprisal to massacre of Muslims in NZ by Christian whites. This was revealed at the PC.
            All incidences that you mentioned were provoked by Muslims. The Aluthgama incident in 2015 was planned and executed by ‘Regime Change’ mafia to prevent Muslims voting to Rajapakshe. That worked. So saying that Rajapakshes were behind that incident is utter rubbish. Mahinda Rajapakshe once told that the people behind Aluthgama incident are in the Government (Yahapalana). He referred to told guy with blinking eye brows and ‘Dath Dostara’.

            • 2
              1

              “Did you hear what Rishad told to the PC yesterday? He said a powerful foreign country was behind the Wahabi Muslim attack.”
              Did he name the country?
              Any clues from him like Muslim, Arab, Christian, the most powerful?

            • 2
              1

              If they wanted to avenge the killing of Muslims they would have targeted the killer’s community not others. That was never the case. Those people were getting ready for an attack long before that event. They were paid by the Ministry of defence when the minister was MR and defence secretary was GR. A morbid investment.

        • 1
          2

          That’s too bad, the British should have wiped the extremist buddhist from this country, how much prosperity there would be if it wasn’t for these backward extremist buddhist monks and the dirty sinhala people who support them.
          .
          Sri Lanka could have been like Philippines where there isn’t the scourge of buddhism and it’s backward ideology. What a shame.

          • 1
            1

            The British particularly Churchill was trying to wipe out Hinduism. Muguls also tried to wipe out Hinduism. Under the 1815 Kandyan Convention the British agreed to protect Buddhism in SL and never to enslave Sinhalese (only). Learn a thing or two about the British rule.

            • 0
              0

              G
              Will you ever stop making goofy comments.?
              *
              The British particularly Churchill was trying to wipe out Hinduism.
              When did this happen?
              (I know that he held Hindus in contempt.)
              *
              Learn a thing or two about the Kandyan Convention before making sweeping statements.

          • 0
            0

            Siterep24, I’m really glad that Sri Lanka is NOT like the Philippines where the Church controls thinking https://gulfnews.com/world/asia/philippines/why-is-no-priest-ever-convicted-of-child-abuse-in-philippines-1.1568030082665

  • 8
    1

    Sri Lanka seems to have a very long way to go before its judicial system, law enforcement and independence of state institutions can be guaranteed to be free of political or power-group influence. As long as public institutions remain susceptible to political or power manipulation, the people will not be truly free, and justice will never be served for the poor, that is the vast majority of citizens.

    • 1
      2

      You’re dreaming if you think this will ever be a reality with moda sinhala people casting their undeserved votes for scumbag politicians.

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