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by Sarath Malalasekera

A bid to assassinate President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga was revealed following the arrest of the main LTTE suspect in the pre- dawn attack on the Sri Lanka Air Force Base and the Bandaranike International Airport, on July 24, 2001.

Several documents recovered from an LTTE safe house revealed that the LTTE cadres were planning to assassinate the President during the forthcoming General Elections. This plan has been confirmed during the operation conducted by the STF at Kandikuichi Aru in Batticaloa where the STF attacked an LTTE camp and recovered two similar sketches depicting the security lay-out of the BMICH and the President's House in Colombo, the CID said.

A special CID team yesterday left for London to obtain assistance of London Interpol in order to get a DNA Test at the Forensic Laboratory, New Scotland Yard.

Investigations revealed that the explosives, arms and the documents seized from an LTTE safe house in Negombo were to be used for the assassination of the President.

CID also recovered two suicide jackets, 35 cyanide capsules, a 9mm Pistol with a silencer and haul of hand grenades, a consignment of explosives, forged identify cards, cellular phone accessories and two sketches depicting the security lay-outs of the President's House in Kandy and the area covering the Shri Maha Bodi including the President's House in Anuradhapura.

Following the arrest of the main LTTE suspect in the Sri Lanka Air Force Base and the Bandaranaike International Airport attack, the CID had traced the luxury bus used for transporting the LTTE suicide squad to Negombo on the day of the incident.

The CID team also had traced the two safe houses maintained by the LTTE in the Negombo and Kochchikade police areas.

Investigations revealed that one of the safe houses had been used by the LTTE cadres to conceal the luxury bus, suicide cadres, arms and explosives which were used in the attack.

Three communication centres in Colombo, Negombo and Vavuniya which were used by the LTTE cadres for the attack were also traced by the CID. They also had taken several suspects into custody who were alleged to have assisted the main LTTE suspect. The cellular equipment used by the LTTE suspects in Colombo, Mannar, Trincomalee and Negombo for the attack were also seized by the CID.

The CID recovered several vital material which were used by the LTTE for the attack on the Air Base.

One of the suspects taken into custody in connection with the Air Force Base attack told the investigators that he was involved in the Rajagiriya LTTE attack on March 10, 2000 where they were to target General Anuruddha Ratwatte, Deputy Defence Minister on his return from Parliament on that day.

Earlier, the CID took into custody the Base Commander of SLAF and several other Air Force personnel for criminal negligence of duties on the day of the attack.

The CID who conducted the investigations into the Air Force Base attack on the direction of Inspector General of Police Lucky Kodituwakku, was able to arrest the main suspects involved in the attack and to recover the luxury bus, explosives and arms used for the attack within a period of two months.

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Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
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