Kadirgamar assassination:

Suspect linked to underworld

by Sarath Malalasekera

Ishothor Arokkayanathan, one of the suspects in the assassination of former Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, is alleged to have been involved in underworld activities. Therefore the suspect could not be brought before court on every hearing dates for security reasons.

This was told to Colombo Chief Magistrate and Additional District Judge Ms. Sarojini Kusala Weerawardena by the Welikada Remand Prison officials when the Kadirgamar murder case was called yesterday.

The Prison officials told the Judge that the suspect could not be produced before court as there is a threat to his life.

Five suspects, Thamil Iniyam, Rengam Vinagam, Aiyar Rajkumar, Ishothor Arokkayanathan and Mutthaih Sahadevan taken into custody and remanded in connection with the Kadirgamar assassination were not produced in court yesterday for security reasons.

On an application by SI M.A.R. Rajapaksa of the Colombo Crime Division (CCD) Judge Weerawardena remanded the five suspects till December 1.

SI Rajapaksa filing a further report in connection with their investigations said that the three other suspects Sivarasan Sivaranjan, Kalimutthu Thirukumar and Charles Gnanakone had been detained. A report in connection with the investigations into them will be submitted to court on the next date. Judge Weerawardena directed the CCD to produce comprehensive report on Charles Gnanakone, now in custody on the next date.

SI Rajapaksa told court that a special police squad had been deployed to trace the main LTTE suspect who is alleged to have involved in the killing and the weapon used for the killing.

The investigating team forwarded all the items collected at the scene to obtain expert evidence on several tests including DNA, Fingerprints and Ballistic.

The special investigating squad also had questioned the Commanders of the security division of the late Minister.

The Special Police Squad deployed on the direction of IGP Chandra Fernando and conducted by Senior DIG Sirisena Herath are trying to ascertain whether the owners of the house where the LTTE assassin who fired sniper bullets through a window at the Foreign Minister are close associate of the owners.

Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar was assassinated by a sniper bullet fired by an unidentified gunman in Colombo on August 12 night.

The CID, CCD Director Senior SP Sarath Lugoda, Colombo DIG Pujit Jayasundera and Colombo South Senior SP S.H. Dayananda are assisting in the investigations.