{"id":169641,"date":"2016-10-27T16:37:39","date_gmt":"2016-10-27T11:07:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=169641"},"modified":"2016-10-27T16:37:39","modified_gmt":"2016-10-27T11:07:39","slug":"under-pressure-from-sirisena-army-intelligence-officer-involved-in-lasantha-murder-released-on-bail","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/under-pressure-from-sirisena-army-intelligence-officer-involved-in-lasantha-murder-released-on-bail\/","title":{"rendered":"Under Pressure From Sirisena, Army Intelligence Officer Involved In Lasantha Murder Released On Bail"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span class=\"_5yl5\">The independence of the courts appears to have been affected ever since <a href=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/baby-sirisena-prompts-papa-sirisena-to-punch-yahapalanaya-and-threaten-yahapalana-unity\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">President Maithripala Sirisena launched a verbal attack<\/span><\/a> on the arresting and remanding of army intelligence officers, with even Mount Lavinia Magistrate Mohammed Shahabdeen falling under pressure and releasing Army Intelligence Officer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?s=Premananda+Udalagama&amp;x=13&amp;y=8\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Premananda Udalagama<\/span><\/a> on bail despite his involvement in the assassination of Editor of Sunday Leader <a href=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?s=Lasantha+Wickrematunge&amp;x=13&amp;y=7\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Lasantha Wickrematunge<\/span><\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_149043\" style=\"width: 269px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Maithripala1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-149043\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-149043\" src=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Maithripala1-259x300.jpg\" alt=\"Sirisena\" width=\"259\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Maithripala1-259x300.jpg 259w, https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Maithripala1.jpg 298w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 259px) 100vw, 259px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-149043\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sirisena<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"_5yl5\">Udalagama was released on a cash bail of Rs. 50,000 and three sureties of Rs. 500,000 each. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"_5yl5\">The court order comes just weeks since President Maithripala Sirisena launched a verbal attack against the arresting and remanding of Army Intelligence Officers who have been involved in various criminal activities including being linked to murder. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"_5yl5\">On October 14, Udalagama was also released on bail by the Gampaha Magistrate Kaweendra Nanayakkara even though he was identified as the culprit who attacked former editor of the Rivira Newspaper, Upali Tennakoon.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"_5yl5\"> In July, the CID arrested Udalagama in connection to the Wickrematunge murder. The Army Intelligence Officer was also identified as the person who abducted Dias, the slain editor\u2019s driver. Udalagama had kidnapped Dias because in his intoxicated state, Dias had gone around making allegations to the effect that former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa was behind Wickrematunge\u2019s assassination. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"_5yl5\">Wickrematunge, a strong critic of the government under former President Mahinda Rajapaksa was killed in January 2009 while he was on his way to work.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"_5wd9\">\n<div class=\"_5wde _n4o\">\n<div class=\"_5w1r _3_om _5wdf\">\n<div class=\"_4gx_\">\n<div class=\"_d97\"><span class=\"_5yl5\">In an article published in the Colombo Telegraph in December 2014, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/8th-jan-poetic-justice-for-my-father-lasantha\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Ahimsa Wickrematunge, daughter of Wickrematunge said<\/span><\/a>, \u201cit is no secret who was behind his death and who gave out the orders. It\u2019s public knowledge. And though I speak from a victim\u2019s standpoint, I am also trying to speak out as a Sri Lankan who is greatly concerned for the welfare of her country. And irrespective of the history, politics and differences my family has had with this current regime, I only want what is best for my country and my people.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"_d97\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"_d97\"><span class=\"_5yl5\">\u201cEven though I lost a father I know I\u2019m just one amongst the hundreds of thousands that lost loved ones to the war. My heart goes out especially to the tamil people who continue to grieve in silence. Its time for us all to have some accountability.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"_d97\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"_d97\"><span class=\"_5yl5\">\u201cJust like every right-thinking citizen my heart hurts for my country and my people. Let\u2019s do what\u2019s best for our children and our country. The choice to dispense with these blights on society and democracy is in our hands,\u201d she added.<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"_d97\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"_d97\"><strong>Related posts:<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"_d97\">\n<p class=\"entry_title\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/8th-jan-poetic-justice-for-my-father-lasantha\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">8th Jan: Poetic Justice For My Father Lasantha?<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"_4gx_\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p> [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":149043,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,1,2375],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-169641","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-colombotelegraph","category-news","category-stories"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.3 - 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