In a strange twist to the Lasantha Wickrematunge murder, a retired Army Officer today committed suicide while claiming to have killed the slain editor in a suicide note he had left in his house in Kegalle.
In the letter, the retired army officer has requested authorities to release Army Intelligence officer Premananda Udalagama from remand as he had nothing to do with the assassination of Wickrematunge.
However, CID sources told Colombo Telegraph that the Army Officer who committed suicide, retired in 2007 and Wickrematunge was assassinated in 2009.
The retired Army Officer who committed suicide is a 51 year old man and a father of three. His body has been sent to the Kegalle General Hospital for a postmortem. Kegalle Police are currently conducting investigations.
thrishu / October 14, 2016
How convenient. Another set up. No one believes these stories any more! This one, from which page of the Book of Tricks?
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Mallaiyuran / October 14, 2016
Who knows why he died and whom asked him to write a letter to release another man. If he really wanted to have that man released, best is to stay alive and talk to the trial judge.
It has been and is more difficult to endure to the living ones than the ones found an easy way to disappear from the scene.
Yahapalanaya Yahapalanaya Yahapalanaya
Rest in peace!
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Don Stanley / October 14, 2016
Gruesome soap operas continue to unfold on a daily basis in this Miracle of Modayas, while hundreds of cases of crime and corruption are pending and dangling!
Biggest mistake of Ranil Sira Jarapalanaya was appoint Wijedasa Jarapassa the Avant guard man, Minister of Injustice, and of all things, Buddha Sasana.
Wijedasa Jarapassa is Goon Gota’s man and is using the UnBuddhist monks and Ministry of Buddha Sasana to sabotage real reform and defend the Gota the white van murderer.
Second biggest mistake of Sira Ranil Jarapalanaya was making the clown Arjuna Mahendran head of Central Bank so he could look it and people of Lanka, and then claim to follow the corrupt crook Ajith Nivard Cabraal. What is FCID doing with these jokers for so long – not a single conviction with massive evidence against Basil, Gota, Sajin Vas, etc/
FCID is proving to be pretty inefficient and useless. Long live Miracle of Modayas!
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gamini / October 15, 2016
Is it really suicide or yet another murder, staged as suicide to save their skin.
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Spark / October 15, 2016
Another episode similar to Thajudeen.
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Sunil / October 16, 2016
Mallaiyuran, you are correct this is an obvious set up. If he was the killer and wanted to save a fellow intelligence officer he would have known the best way to do so would have been to surrender to the police and give all the details to prove he is the real killer. Also who gave the orders, how he killed him, the weapon he used and other vital information that proves beyond doubt he is the killer.
This has only proved to the nation and the world that a network is still actively playing a role in an elaborate cover up!!
Get the help of INTERPOL before it is too late…
There is a large criminal network behind this. But it can quickly be outsmarted and exposed by the likes of the CIA or INTERPOL.
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Bunjappu / October 14, 2016
Born rascals will never stop being away from planning their high crimes.
I have no doubt, Gotabaya et al should be behind the taking life of the retired soldier.
Now instead of serving the justice, one another life is taken away.
The victimized family of the dead person today, have to struggle for the life. instead of finding the real killers, let the kind of crimes to occur is also a crime.
Current govt should take the responsiblity of the suicide death of this man.
If current rulers would not take action accordingly, this can even cost further more lives.
This is typical to srilanka – since the value of a human life is not held as is the case in Europe. Like cats and dogs, people s lives are subjected to destroy, by avoidable road accidents, and other crimes as being reported every day. Suicide is not a solution should be made clear to the people in a healthy manner.. That can save many in this country.
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SEA / October 15, 2016
ONLY cowards commit suicide… I pity the 3 innocent children n his widiw…itll be a scar in their lives…IF. he killed..he should have the courage to man up…after all he was an Army Intelligence Officer…who knows what he did in the north or east IF he ever served there…
As a human being Id hope he rest in peace…but he may have taken away peace from many hom3s. including Lasanthas..
if he was in the front lines duribg the war…he may have been a spy .
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Simon De Silva / October 14, 2016
Now with all the solutions being discussed to save Duminda the darling of Gotabaya, may be they have now been planning to bring new evidences in terms of GETTING abusive man Duminda Silva free from Welikada.
Please president, allow Gotabaya and all other Rajakashe to be convicted sooner than later in order to save this land further. Longer you allow them to roam, more lives will be targeted. All these are srilankens. They should all be treated equally.
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N. Nadarajah - Mahanuwara / October 15, 2016
If the Sargent’s suicide letter is true MARA will also face the same situation of Killing innocent Tamil citizens in Mullivaikkal in the Mullaitivu district in Sri lanka during the final war in May of 2009 in which over 75,000 Tamil citizens been killed according to UN sources.
According to Lord Buddha’s teachings Those who kill innocent people will suffer for generations till their sins are washed away.
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Amarasiri / October 14, 2016
RE: Retired Army Officer Says He Killed Lasantha Wickrematunge, Commits Suicide
“In a strange twist to the Lasantha Wickrematunge murder, a retired Army Officer today committed suicide while claiming to have killed the slain editor in a suicide note he had left in his house in Kegalle.”
“However, CID sources told Colombo Telegraph that the Army Officer who committed suicide, retired in 2007 and Wickrematunge was assassinated in 2009.”
The Idiot of the Week? Friday,October 14, 2016.
Idiots of the week – Sri Lankan Buddhists from Friday, 25 April 2014
Through the Bulath Vine, Vettila Vine, Grape Vine….
This week its not one idiot, but rather a very large group. Actually, this is usually the case as most idiots follow other idiots. In fact I may just have to start calling it idiots of the week all the time, as surely some fool will do whatever they get told by these weekly nominees.
It turns out that this week Sri Lankan Buddhists have gone and deported a British tourist for a vile crime against their local beliefs. So, for this week I give you a few choices to make you see how rational these people they are. So why did Buddhists export a British tourist?
a) for killing Buddhist monk?
b) peeing on a Buddhist statue?
c) having a Buddha tattoo?
If you chose (c) you are right.
As you know they are highly logical people these Buddhists. Nope they are just as stupid as any other theists that take offense to the dumbest stuff. Muslims don’t like pictures of Muhammad and these Buddhists don’t like pictures of Buddha.
To put a little more perspective. This country is 112 richest country in the world according to the IMF, yet they deem it necessary to send tourists with money away as they feel a little hurt. This is a country with a nominal GDP per ca pita of 3,139 USD. But hey, lets get upset about a Buddha tattoo when we have no running water.
Logical right? No, Sri Lankan Buddhists you are idiots. Does it extend to retired army Officers in Sri Lanka as well?
What is Gon Gamarala saying now?
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Sam Fernando / October 14, 2016
This is becoming even more complicated.
If the office who commited suicide claiming him to be the killer, then we need to know who was behind him to do the job ?
Could army officers go killing editors if they were not hired by senior defence management ?
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Leelawathie / October 14, 2016
Not even a single investigation seems to be ending up with a proper conviction.
Insstead we get to hear, that Presz is against FCID. He criticises them publicly – not sending a message giving us further hope. I am so fed up to this day actually.
They will not be able to escape this way – that is glass clear.
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Burt / October 15, 2016
He was part of the previous govt that FCID is investigating so that could be making him nervous. There were no saints in the last government.
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thrishu / October 14, 2016
Are you sure that an officer has committed suicide, and that there is a body to confirm? If so does his family agree with this story? Or if not is this just a fairy story from the Book of Tricks? That’s why I requested the page number so that we could read up the begining and the end of the plot ….. hahahaha!
Next story Wasim Thajiuddin . wait for it. Who will commit suicide for ending that saga. Are n’t Sri Lankans clever ….. who wants a Sherlock Holmes. He would be out of work at this rate!
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old codger / October 15, 2016
He committed suicide while he was being taken by the police to the place where he had concealed the weapon. Didn’t you know?!!
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Spark / October 14, 2016
Money can play games. This retired Army Officer may have been promised good money on this. Why does he not want to divulge who arranged him to do this criminal act? On the other hand, did the notorious Sri Lanka Army forcibly make this army officer “commit suicide” so that the case will be closed and many “higher ups” can escape? This all is probable in Sri Lanka and the Sinhalese as they are notorious for this type of dirty inhuman criminal games. If they could kill thousands of innocent civilians in the north under the guise of fighting the LTTE, this kind of activity is simply nothing for them.
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Babansincho Jayathilaka / October 14, 2016
Only thing they seem to fail is to get the dead back, escaping and let them escape from already occured criminal deeds.
BEST WOULD BE TO DECLARE; THAT THIS COUNTRY DOES NOT NEED ANY KIND OF LAW AND ORDER SYSTEM; SINCE THAT IS NOT APPLICABLE WITH THE CRIME DOERS: SO IT IS BETTER TO ALLOW THEM MINGLE WITH OTHERS; SINCE NOTHING CAN PUNISH THEM.
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Silva / October 14, 2016
So is this real or how they manufacture a cover up to protect the real criminals!? Hope independent local and international bodies are keeping a close eye…
Do not cover up for the real criminals…
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Mj / October 14, 2016
It is best for the county if all jarapakshas follow the same example..
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Shamil / October 14, 2016
He died for saving Gotabaya Rajapaksa, I gurantee it.
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LASANTHA / October 14, 2016
AIYO LASANTHA
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Saro / October 14, 2016
This is an “strange twist” indeed.
Any country allows the army to get involved in civilian activities such as farming, tourism and hotels her parliament surrenders her sovereignty the military. Pakistan is an example where the military is more powerful than the government and the country is a failure. Gotabaya Rajapakse made the military the supreme in the country. The present president also seems to suggest keeping alleged criminals from the army is wrong. In that case the military becomes above the law of the land.
This army officer who committed suicide might have been a victim of the military activities. Why didn’t he provide tangible evidence to his claim. Why didn’t he allow himself to scrutiny of his claimed crime? These questions need answers before releasing the detained military intelligence personnel.
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Sira / October 14, 2016
Sounds like a Mahinda jilmart; very fishy. After having prayed and worked for this Yahapalanaya change am afraid the only stakeholders to have benefited from “Yahapalanaya” are the ministers! And we laymen are left screwed and ditched under the midday sun! President Sirisena am afraid you have breached our trust!!
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Sujeewa / October 14, 2016
CID logic is funny. Does someone need to be in the Army to kill someone?
Check his Mobile Phone records at the time of the kiliing, and see whether a Wel Widane has placed any calls.
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Siribiris / October 14, 2016
Who is Wel Widane?
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Simple Simeon / October 14, 2016
The so called ‘ Wel Widane’ is a Minister in the present regime sitting right behind RW in the Parliament.
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Girawa / October 14, 2016
Sri Lankans are yet to realize how powerful and vicious the Rajapaksa Junta is.During their 10 year reign of terror not a single institution was left without been infiltrated and deeply politicized .This man’s suicide as readers here have judged so well is definitely an indication that the deadly Rajspaksa cabal is very much alive .All its catchers are acting as sleeper cells , ready to go into action when Gotabaya commands.Look at the Defence and Foreign ministries where brother and sister Colonne combine have ingratiated themselves in the most sensitive places and reporting everything to their Master.There are hundreds like them in many places.This sucide should be a wake up call.Yahapalana government better look out.
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Leelagemalli / October 14, 2016
Srilankens are caught by Rajaakshe killing tactics.
Just see how that Widu Wickramanayake acted yeserday. All these JO men have high potentials of criminal energies.
They just want to put their names on the boards – That Mahinda did in every schools – by wasting to go there open than the entire costs spent for the Mahindodaya labs construction.
That is how the man and his politics worked for this war torn country.
Actually, nothing became better with human rights improvement, if further criminal kind of incidents occur.
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Samuel Jayaweera / October 14, 2016
another synonym for Killers.
Killer = Rajapakshe.
To cover onekilling, allow another killing to follow.
Real tactics, not even polpot was no that clever but Rajapakshes
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Arun Vincent / October 14, 2016
This is another murder! Oh my God!
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jim softy / October 14, 2016
This is new Sri lanka.
Suicide bombers and black tigers are political prisoners, roam freely in the society and bully police officers too.
Buddhist monks, military officers saved the country are in jail.
It is the politicians covered with hundred of miliaty to protect them. Now, those scum prosecute military.
So, some have to die.
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Samuel Jayaweera / October 14, 2016
Yes, new srilanka, but you guys dont risk to say, that it is Rajapakshe killers still in action.
Jim or bum softy, you the guys have to sense it let alone today.
You seem to see only one side – even if a soldier fought the war, if he is caught by any arbitory killings, he should be investigated by the law and order systems governing in the country.
Else, that is something wrong Jim.
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AJ / October 14, 2016
Jim does not get it. You can sit Jim on a chair and table and tell him “1 +1 = 2.” He will respond: “2 black tigers are roaming freely, 5 Buddhists monks are in jail.”
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AJ / October 14, 2016
Hi Jim,
may the freely roaming black tiger killed the army in Kegalle? Or may be the suicide bombers killed Lasantha? I think neither. The suicide bomber killed Lasantha, and went to prion as a political prisoner and became a black tiger. when he was released he went and killed the army in Kegalle. this is new Sri Lanka :(
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Nimal Maharage / October 14, 2016
This is learly a part of Gotabaya’s master plan. He is behind this. See how Rajapakse family uses their plundered money for paid suicides.
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Rajash / October 14, 2016
Did he commit suicide or was he murdered?
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Plato. / October 14, 2016
A clumsy effort to derail the truth from the authentic killers.Money talks even for suicide!
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adewasi soldier / October 14, 2016
This shows inefficiency of yahapalanaya and its leadership. all the supporters of it are in wilderness.they do only the speculations but not add any thing tangible.even after almost two years they still believe political power is with leaders of previous regime.they know nothing but make speculations and insult leaders of previous regime for every events that is being taking place. they may doubt father-ship of their own children soon as well. it will happen near future if this mind set is continue to be existed.comments made here in every news item vouched for it. Rajapaksha phobia.that is the famous ailment our yahapalana supporters here are suffering from it seems.
Get your yahapalanaya to do basics of governance right.here too is very simple investigation for intelligent police officers though yahapalana henchmen make big hue and cry.
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LK Citizen / October 15, 2016
I’ve been reading a lot of comments here, but avoided commenting myself to save my sanity. But couldn’t do both together anymore without speaking out.
Most of the commenters here are clearly from creative commenters whose one and only objective is seemingly to pass the buck to previous regime. Very few only do objective criticism of what Yahapalanaya has failed to deliver. This is what we need, aren’t we ? A balanced and truthful criticism.
In this particular case, it’s portrayed as if the only possible thing could have happened is that the previous regime’s remnant elements got involved, please get a life. You suck in creative writing then. Why, couldn’t it be that seeing what’s happening, this solder really didn’t want for him and his former colleagues to go through further hell or even better he realized his sins or something else.
Is speculation a good sign of a developed society when it comes to matters of critical importance ?
Then again closer to 100 comments or few hundreds of commenters does not represent whole of our society.
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Freeda Muhandiram / October 14, 2016
Hi Girawa
Read Batalanda commission report. Over 60,000 killed during 86 to 89.
There were dead bodies on every roads every river. Why have we fogotton the past.
UNP governments have done worst crimes and also responsible for starting the terrorism after 1977 UNP regime with their cow and calf foreign policy towards India.
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Thomas / October 14, 2016
Ex.Soldier who committed sucide has not mentioned in the letter as to why he had to kill Lasantha.If we are to believe him he should have at least given the rational for the murder.CID can investigate whether the SLArmy,obtained the services of the retired person for covert operations after his retirement .Thomas
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truth finder / October 14, 2016
Either he was not in a sound mind OR he was forced to write the letter and killed later!! Agatha Christei at it again!
Ravindra Fernando can write another book!
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AJ / October 14, 2016
Everybody knows LTTE ruthlessly killed civilians. But the former government portrayed the army as hero and savior. The identity of the Sri Lankan army is slowly coming out. It will be all out one day.
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Sunil / October 15, 2016
Maithripala Sirisena, this is disgraceful to attempt shuch a cover up!!!
Is this your plan to save the Rajapaksa criminals and their criminal network!?
Take actions against the real criminals and the LTTE responsible for various crimes no more of this “Game of Shape” (Sri Lanken term for cover up)
Is this why are these cases have been dragging for so long to buy time to find a way to cover up!?
We want action taken against these criminals as promised…
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Douglas / October 15, 2016
Dead neither talk nor can be made to talk. So stop at that and continue with the investigations. Now quite a lot of information has emerged; please go through to establish the TRUTH, no matter it will be the “Dead” or the “Still Living” who could be brought to face the justice. That is what the People want.
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Chands / October 15, 2016
Is this genuine, or a staged “suicide” so that the real culprits can get away with murder? Those involved are in powerful positions, and have the (stolen) money to buy their way out of this.
Something is not quite right here. The question is, will we ever find out, and will Lasanhtha’s family see justice?
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Burt / October 15, 2016
This confirms that Military Intel. the state sponsored terrorists murdered Lasantha. This was not a one man show and now the investigation can refine its focus.
This also allows the family and loved ones to file civil action against the state and individuals for damages.
So the state
Military Intelligence
and personally the family (estate) of this officer
The ex-defense secretary who was in charge of Military Intel
Should be held accountable.
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Ranjan Fernando / October 15, 2016
Who says he committed suicide? Only the news papers! How about a post-mortem report. Not from the same doctors who did Thajudeen and Lasantha’s PM.
If he was so keen to protect a fellow soldier why commit suicide?
It’s easily done by confessing to the police what happened and why he did it!
There is something called motive in any murder that has to be proved.
What hsppened to the four soldiers who shared the SIM card on Jesuthasan’s NIC? Where did this so called soldier get the sheep gun?
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Justice Kakka / October 15, 2016
This is what happens when old bodies are dug-up to take revenge of political enemies, rather than to serve justice.
Digging up Lasantha Wickramatunga’s grave or keeping ‘suspects’ in jail will not bring him back. It will only create more victims like this innocent man.
As a good Jehowah’s witness, Lasantha would not have approved of this revenge campaign in his name. Ask Eran Wickramaratna about it.
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Burt / October 15, 2016
Don’t you think the world is a better place without this coward in it?
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Kumar R. / October 15, 2016
You kavun kannos have gulped these fairy tales for so long, why stop now?!
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Nuwan / October 15, 2016
So if a person confesses, then CID has to investigate. But if the person who confessed is also dead that becomes difficult. Let’s go for the low hanging fruit. Keep going on with jailing military officers, credit from IC, and trying to tie it up to Gota, elimination of political threat. Strategically, ignoring this incident as a farce is the best option for the government.
What is the value of this story to the JO? The fact that the person has left the force in 2007 is very much of a relief to show that it was not done under the directions of Gota. However, it does not discount he may have been part of a para-military which Gota may have maintained with ex-military officers.
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