LTTE suspects further detained

Chamikara Weerasinghe

The Colombo Chief Magistrate yesterday granted the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) permission to further detain the former medical superintendent for Kilinochchi Hospital Thangamuttu Sathyamoorthi, Kandaswamy Thurai Kethish, claimed to be the LTTE’s medical wing head, and Arumugam Jayalakshmi, a nurse.

The suspects have been in CID detention on the charges of allegedly supporting the LTTE to carry out their terrorist plans. They were produced before Colombo Chief Magistrate Nishantha Hapuarachchi for inspection yesterday by the CID, Defence Ministry sources said.

The Chief Magistrate ordered the CID to produce the suspects in a month (on July 17) while investigations were in process.

The CID informed the Chief Magistrate that Kilionochchi Hospital Medical Superintendent Sathyamoorthi had reportedly moved medical supplies belonging to the Kilinochchi Government hospital, to be provided to the LTTE medical wing during the final phase of the battles in Vanni.

Sathyamurthi, an MBBS degree holder is also charged with aiding and abetting LTTE propaganda to discredit the Government by way of giving false statements to international media establishments, such as the BBC, regarding the Government Security Forces and numbers of casualties.

The second suspect, Kandaswamy Thurai Kethish, is said to have received education from an LTTE medical school. He is believed to have served the LTTE Sea Tiger wing along with Arumugam Jayalakshmi, the nurse.