Why no justice for Lasantha’s murder?
Lasantha Wickramthunga’s murderer is still at large! ?
Investigations were delayed no reasons given
Investigation change hand to hand to the whims and fancies of some ‘high up’
wrong autopsy report by an expert medical doctor possible cover up’?
IP Nishantha’s special revelation about the plot behind Lasantha’s Murder, who fled the country when Gotabaya Rajapakse won the elections, reveals the previously unknown story of Lasantha’s Murder.
IP Nishantha of the CID, who fled the country when Gota came to power, makes a special revelation at the International Court of Justice about how Lasantha was killed and how was investigated.
Many years have passed since the assassination of journalist Lasantha Wickramatunga, but no government has been able to identify those responsible. Despite the fact that various people claimed that high-ranking government officials were involved in the murder at the time, these claims could not be proven through a proper investigation or the court system.
Nishanth – The CID officer
Mr. Nishantha Silva worked as the Station Commander of the Criminal Investigation Department’s Group Robbery Investigation Division against this backdrop. He recently made an unusual revelation about Lasanta’s murder. Nishantha Silva, who is currently seeking political asylum in Switzerland due to threats to his life, recently took steps to reveal many facts regarding the murder of Lasantha Wickramatunga before the International Court of Justice.
The lengthy statement he made there succeeded in causing a commotion in this country’s political arena. The evidence was extracted from Nishantha Silva’s video on The Life Traveler YouTube channel and presented to the readers of ‘Mawrata.
Nishantha Silva revealed the names of many officials involved in the security forces in his testimony. However, none of those names have been included here. This is due to the fact that, according to media ethics, they are still only suspects. In addition, a special disclosure was made regarding the incident of naming Mr. Nishantha Silva and Mr. Keith Noir. We have removed those sections entirely from this article. Anyone searching the name Nishantha Silva on the internet can watch the entire video.
Fleeing the country
I, fled to Switzerland with my family to save my life after receiving death threats as a result of the investigation. In carrying out these investigations, I investigated Mr. Lasanta Manilal Wickramatunga, the journalist whom this case, the kidnapping and assault of journalist Keith Noir, the kidnapping and killing of 11 civilians by Navy intelligence officers, and the extortion of others by the Navy.
The kidnapping and gang-rape of a schoolgirl named Sivaloganathan Vidya from Jaffna, the kidnapping and disappearance of journalist Pradeep Eknaligoda, the kidnapping and disappearance of journalists Mr. Upali Tennakon and Mr. Namal Perera, and the special LTTE in connection with crimes of the category During my criminal investigation period. I also conducted terrorist-related investigations as well.
According to my recollection, on September 17, 2015, S.S.P., the Director of the Criminal Investigation Department at the time, informed Mr. Nagahamulla over the phone that this investigation was being handled by Special Investigation Unit 03 of the Criminal Investigation Department. I was asked to take over this investigation with Mr. Thisera as Assistant Superintendent of Police B.S.
Then I told him that I couldn’t accept it because I was working on the previously mentioned investigations at the time. The director then stated that this was not possible and that you must accept it. That is how I approached this investigation.
January 8 2009
Since the murder of Mr. Lasanta Manilal Wickramatunga, who was traveling in a car near Atthidiya Malagala Primary School on January 8, 2009, in the Mt. Police area, the investigation was handled by the Mt. Police Station. The progress of the investigations was then reported to Mt. Magistrate’s Court under 92/2009.
After the aggrieved party informed the Mt. Court that there had been no progress in the Mt. Police investigations, the court transferred this case (investigations) to the Criminal Investigation Department via the Inspector General of Police on November 25, 2009.
The three Special Investigation Divisions then conducted the investigations. The investigation was transferred to the Terrorist Investigation Division within two months of its inception (February or March 2010). Following that, in 2015, it was referred to the Criminal Investigation Department’s three Special Investigation Sections. Regardless, I was the Station Officer of the Group Robbery Investigation Division at the time. Mr. Shani Abeysekera, who is currently retired, is my supervisor.
But, as I previously stated, after learning that the three Special Investigation Divisions working on this case were making no progress, Director Mr. Nagahamulla asked me and Assistant Superintendent of Police Mr. Thisera to assist with the investigation.
Because the matter is an investigation and an administrative issue, the investigation was handed over to the Group Robbery Investigation Division after I and the Assistant Superintendent of Police informed Mr. Shani Abeysekara, who held the position of Director at the time. That’s how it went down.
One, before conducting any Terrorism Investigation Division investigations, all of the extracts were reviewed by the officers of the investigation team under our command.
Lasantha Wickramatunga was the editor-in-chief of the newspaper “Sunday Leader.” He’s the father of three kids. His press was burned down twice. Gun shots were fired at his house on one occasion. We noticed that Gotabhaya Rajapakse, the then-Defense Secretary, obtained an injunction at the Mount Kildare District Court prior to Mr. Lasantha Wickramatunga’s death.
Meanwhile, when I analyzed the document extracts submitted to the court and submitted by the Mt. Police Station, I discovered that Mr. Lasantha Wickramatunga was killed by a group of motorcycle riders on January 8, 2009. During the Mt. Police Station’s investigation, three witnesses and an eyewitness were identified in relation to this murder incident. Furthermore, documents in Lasanta’s car were seized as evidence.
Expunge evidence ?
In addition, it was later learned that the mobile phone used by Mr. Lasantha Wickramatunga was found in the possession of another person. During the investigation, it was learned that the passengers who were traveling on the road after Mr. Lasantha Wickramatunga was attacked took him to the Kalubowila hospital. A person among the passengers stole Lasanta’s phone. In addition, the Mt. Police Station had obtained evidence from Mr. Lasanta Wickramatunga’s family and those who knew Mr. Lasanta Wickramatunga’s information.
The government analist was brought to the crime scene and investigations were carried out. Forensic Medical Officer Dr. Sunil Kumara had conducted the autopsy. According to the report, facts were presented to the court that this death was caused by a gunshot.
After this incident about 2-3 kilometers away from the place of this murder (on January 27, 2009), a motorcycle was recovered from a canal in the Mt. Police area by the Mt. Police .
During the investigation regarding the motorcycle, a person from Vavuniya area was arrested and detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act or Emergency Law and the Mt. Police has conducted an investigation.
I clearly state that all the facts that I am diclosing to this Honorable Court are the facts that I obtained from the analysis of the excerpts from the Mt. Police Station and that I still have in my memory.
Mt Lavinia police stalled the investigation an evidence wiping out attempt?
We did not see the Mt. Police investigation proceeded beyond that in the analysis of those excerpts. Accordingly, due to the lack of progress in the investigations of the Mount Police, the investigation will be handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department on November 25, 2009, according to a request made by Lasanta Wickramatunga’s side from the court.
Investigation was handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department, as I mentioned earlier, the investigation was carried out by the Special Investigation Unit 01. While carrying out that work, the Criminal Investigation Department had taken all the extracts made by the Mt. Police. Then in the investigation conducted by taking details of Mr. Lasanta Wickramatunga’s telephone number and excerpts from other statements, information was taken from all the telephone signal towers on the route from Mr. Lasanta Wickramatunga’s home to Atthidiya area where his workplace is located.
It was actually taken by the station commander of the Mirihana Special Investigation Unit. But unfortunately it was not analyzed by Mount Police Station or Mirihana Police Station. It was first investigated by the Criminal Investigation Department. It was discovered that there were five foreign phone numbers on the route from Mr. Lasantha Wickramatunga’s home to the place where the murder took place.
As the owner of the five telephone numbers, the Criminal Investigation Department on Dec. Disclosure schedulled to be made on the 10th.
Later, while the investigations were going on, there was a presidential election in January 2010 in Sri Lanka. Mahinda Rajapaksa was one of its candidates. On the other side was Mr. Sarath Fonseka. After Mahinda Rapajaksha came to power in that election, C.I.D. Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police Mr. Keerthi Gajanayake came inchrge of the administration unit .
After that, when I and my team reviewed these investigations, while identifying a valuable factors related to it, the investigation responsibility was transferred to the Terrorism Investigation Division by the Senior DIG Keerthi Gajanayake stating that the investigations were on the order of the then former Inspector General of Police Mahinda Balasuriya.
Generally C.I.D. does not transfer a case. This is the wee side of it. Then I noticed something else when I looked into the order. Along with that case, it was observed that the investigation related to Mr. Keith Noir, the editor of ‘The Nation’ who was kidnapped and assaulted on May 23, 2008, and the investigation related to Mr. Upali Tennakoon, who was assaulted on January 23, 2009, have been transferred to the Terrorism Investigation Division.
CID to TID
We could not understand this transferring , as CID does many gerneral investigations there is no reasons for it to transfer only these thre case investigation away from the CID to TID. taking away this prevented CID to make in this procss.
TID was assigned to present findings which I and my team did all this time. The drectot who was incharge of TID at that time is at present serving in the bribarry commision.
As mentioned before, Picchai Jesudasan, the stranger who walked close to Lasantha’s phone and the suspect owner of phone number five, will be arrested in February or March 2010.With this I observed that an army intelligence member was also arrested, and they were sent to T.I.D. on detention orders.
That it has been detained and investigated. In two days in February 2010, 17 members of the Army Intelligence Unit were arrested in Kohuwala. After that, it was revealed from the analysis excerpts that the facts about this incident were not reported to the Mt. Court. The matter had been reported to the Aluthkade Magistrate Court separately. In addition, these 17 people were detained and investigated under the emergency law.
Later, they were detained for 5-6 days on two occasions and released after recording their statements. At that time, an eyewitness was identified by the Mt. Police. These suspects were never produced to the Mt. Police by the Terrorist Investigation Division and placed in the identification parade. We got to know that too.
Apart from that, I did not observe that the investigations related to the assaults on Keith Noir and Upali Tennakoon were carried out by the Terrorism Investigation Division. Because during the analysis of the documents, it was revealed to me that no work has been done in that investigation.
In the analysis of these excerpts and my subsequent investigations, it was revealed that these 17 army soldiers were members of the army intelligence unit in Kohuwala, who were working as a surveillance team under the security wing of Mr. Sarath Fonseka, who was then the army commander and later ran as a presidential candidate.
The reason for arresting the military intelligence officer was that they had bought these five phones using Jesudasan’s identity card. He and Jesudasan had been detained and remanded in prison for almost a year. But I discovered that nothing has been confirmed in those investigative activities while observing the excerpts that I have analyzed.
In the subsequent investigation, Picchai Jesudasan is a resident of Magastota, Nuwara Eliya. He works as a car mechanic on the road at his residence. The intelligence officer belonging to this Tripoli sub-group also resides in Nuwara Eliya area. He has worked as a lorry driver (according to my recollection) when he was suspended or transferred from the army. Picchai Jesudasan was identified when he went to repair the vehicle.
The relationship between Jesudasan and this officer has been formed over the past few years based on that identification.
After questioning Jesudasan by the Terrorist Investigation Division, the involvement of this Intelligence Division member was revealed, so he was arrested and investigated on detention orders. It is a routine investigation.
After that Picchei Jesudasan was imprisoned. The intelligence officer is also jailed. Jesudasan dies in prison. Then a rights case is filed that this intelligence member is being detained illegally. I remember that he mentioned in his appeal to the court that the then head of the Terrorism Investigation Division asked him to mention the name of the then Army Commander Mr. Sarath Fonseka for the murder of Mr. Lasantha Wickramatunga.
Death of Picchei Jesudasan
With the death of Picchei Jesudasan, this intelligence agency member is also released for that reason. After that, in further analysis, it was revealed in the investigation of his salary details that the Army Intelligence Division had given him all the salaries and special allowances during the almost one year that this intelligence member was in custody. This is an unnatural situation. How can a person who has been detained for murder be given salary allowances?
subsequently I brought that chief and questioned him. How and what investigation revealed about these 17 people, what evidence is there against them and why it is not mentioned in these excerpts. He said that these 17 people were arrested by another officer who was sent by him. I asked that such an arrest cannot be made, what is the reasonable suspicion.
He said it was out of suspicion. According to the Prevention of Terrorism Act, there must be evidence if such an arrest is made. But there was not enough suspicion to arrest. After that, the most special thing is that these facts were not presented to the Magistrate of Aluthkade before the Magistrate’s Court. Accordingly, I noticed that there is a contradiction and a false process in this event.
I brought the other chief and questioned him. How did these 17 people emerge? What is the evidence against them, and if there is a doubt, what is the doubt. To report facts about these things. He said that these 17 people were sent by the Ministry of Defense.
Gotabaya Rajapaksa was the Secretary of the Ministry of Defense. The Chief Intelligence Officer was a retired Major General. They were sent by the Ministry of Defense. I asked if the Ministry of Defense has investigated this.
If there is a military investigation, these people are suspicious and should be sent for an internal investigation to do an investigation. I did not observe such a quote. He said that the big man sent him. After that, when I asked the Major General (retd.), he mentioned (says another name) that these people were given because the gentleman asked for them.
‘Passing the ball’ game
One thing I felt was that they were all passing the ball around and no reasonable reason was mentioned. Therefore, there is something that I have seen in the investigations carried out by these people. I observed that these people tried to assign the responsibility of this murder to another party during these investigations, from the C.I.D. to, T.I.D. If the C.I.D. had accepted the investigation. They should do the investigation together. But that was not done.
The Tripoli platoon was established in Maradana area in those days. In a building taken over by the army. According to my investigations, the aforementioned intelligence member is a member of the Tripoli platoon. The commanding officer was a member of the Armed Intelligence Division of the Army. He and about 25 intelligence officers served there.
In this investigation, it was not possible to find that the cause of death was a shooting which had been presented to the Mt. Mt. Magistrate’s Court. Forensic Medical Officer Dr. Sunil Kumara again recorded a statement, what are the facts based on recording that this was a shooting death. He was asked that if there was a shooting, there must have been remnants of bullets in the car, and this report was issued on the basis of such facts. He said not based on such facts.
I asked then how did he say that he was a shooting. He said that the Kalubowila hospital said that Lasantha was shot at that time, based on that information. It is a matter of doubt.
Body exhumed
According to the inspector’s report, it is stated that there has been no progress. According to this contradiction, we, the investigation team, had a doubt as to the cause of Lasanta’s death. Therefore, after reporting the facts to the court, Lasanta’s body was exhumed and handed over to three specialist forencic doctors for examination. Their investigation revealed that the death was due to blunt force instraumat to the head caused by a fractured skull.
Then the problem was Dr. Sunil Kumara had done more than 5000 autopsies by that time. Then the question arose as to why such a experienced officer gave such a wrong report. Is it a game ?
According to the facts uncovered during the investigation into the murder of Mr. Lasantha Wickramatunga conducted by me, the Criminal Investigation Department, Mt. Police and T.I.D. Reasonable suspicions were uncovered that the investigations had to be delayed and suppressed instead of being carried out together.
That is because the police and C.I.D were involved. One was under the Ministry of Defence. Gotabhaya Rajapakse, Secretary of the Ministry of Defense. It is against him that Lasantha Wickramatunga is making allegations of irregularities in the ‘MiG’ deal.
investigation in 2015
This investigation has been progressing since he left the administration. It means that after a new government was appointed in 2015, the murder investigation was completed without any hindrance. After that they obstructed me carry forward. I have not discovered whether the court was directly influenced by that situation. But according to the current situation, I am exposed through the media to reasonably assume that the court was influence. Very sorry to state this.
At this time, I would like to say that this accusation will not be made against the entire army and the armed forces. There are officers who work very honestly in those institutions. Few people have committed these murders. According to the facts revealed here, I investigated against several high-ranking officers of the army and several high-ranking police officers in the Lasantha murder investigation. I performed my duties Under severe pressure.
Mr. Ravi Seneviratne, the former Senior DIG of the Criminal Investigation Department, and Mr. Shani Abeysekara, the Director, had given me the protection of two police officers. I discovered that there was a conspiracy to kill me. A separate investigation is underway on this. In addition, with this incident, former President Maithripala Sirisena transferred me.
When Mahinda Rajapaksa became the prime minister during his reign to my knowledge I had reasonable grounds to suspect that I had become one of their primary targets. At the same time, I fled the country because there was a 100% risk that Gotabhaya Rajapakse would kidnap me or kill me in some way with his knowledge if I stayed in Sri Lanka after he becoming president in 2019. If not, I think that there would not be a person by the name of Nishanta Silva to report these evidence to the court in this manner.
By a special correspondent