Chief Inspector arrested for allegedly providing security information to LTTE

Chamikara Weerasinghe

COLOMBO: A Chief Inspector of police was arrested yesterday at Matara on charges of allegedly providing security information to the LTTE.

He was arrested in the early hours from a famous hotel cum lodging in Matara along with another suspect, who was with him at the time of the arrest, police said.

The police had recovered a sum of Rs. 45 lakhs and Rs.97, 850 (Rs.4,597,850) to be in the possession of the suspects on the spot. The police had taken into the custody the cash and a luxury pajero, which was with the suspect at the time of the arrest, said the police .

Matara Police HQI Upali Chandrasiri said that their investigations so far had revealed that the police officer in their custody on suspicion had worked at the Uppuweli police station and Trincomalee harbour police.

"The alleged officer is on leave. He had taken leave from the Trincomalee harbour police about a year ago as a Chief Inspector stating he had to go abroad," said HQI Chandrasiri.

The other suspect whom he was found with at the hotel room is 35 years old and his identity is yet to be established, he said.

HQI Chandrasiri said they had launched investigations following the arrest to determine how the cash landed in the hands of the suspect and we have sent special teams to Trincomalee to investigate matters in this connection. Matara police is investigating under the instructions of Senior DIG of Southern Division II Jayantha Wickremeratna and DIG of Southern Range, Jayantha Gamage.

Our attempts to contact the two DIGs were unsuccessful.