On My Beat: High drama in the court over the police custody of 25 suspects

A high drama in the Gokeralla Magistrate court was reported when the police moved to take into custody under the Detention Order, 25 suspected persons who were arrested on January 25, when they were traveling in a bus to an undisclosed destination.

Gokeralla Police who arrested them, kept them under detention. When questioned it was found that 13 of them were retired army men and those resigned from the Army.

On further questioning, they told the police that they were kept as standby, awaiting orders by Retired Colonel Sujit Jeyasekera, an aide of the Retired General Sarath Fonseka's, a former brigade commandant of the Commando Forces of the Sri Lanka Army, who prematurely retired from the Army.

The 25 persons were produced yesterday before the Gokeralla Magistrate court and the court was told of the detention order signed by the Secretary to Defence to take them under police custody, as the police suspects that they might have links with conspiracy to topple the Government.

A panel of lawyers who appeared for the arrested men and demanded the Detention order and the Police in Colombo faxed the copy of the Order to the courts, but the Defendants lawyers disputed the faxed copy and demanded to see the original detention order.

Subsequently, the Magistrate postponed the case to Monday and ordered the suspects to be kept in the remand prison.

Asian Tribune learnt that already police has recorded the statement of Retired Colonel Sujit Jayasekera and is now going through his statement.

In the meantime, police is now searching for the Retired Major General Sunil Silva. According to police, they searched for him at his house located in Thumbovila, Pliyandala and they found the house locked and he and his wife were missing.

The Retired Maj. Gen. Sunil Silva was the coordinating as secretary to Retired General Sarath Fonseka during his election campaign.

While he was wanted for questioning on many issues and the latest according to the police was in connection with the assassination of the Sunday Leader Editor Lasantha Wickrematunga.

Already Police has arrested the serving Brigadier Duminda Keppetiwalana regarding the murder of Lasantha Wickrematunge. Brigadier Keppetiwalana served as the former army chief Sarath Fonseka as the military assistant.

After her husband's arrest last weekend, police officers who raided their home told her that Brig. Keppetiwalana was being held for questioning in relation to the murder of the Sunday Leader editor in January last year.

After the arrest of Brig. Keppetiwalana, Sarath Fonseka contacted the wife of Brig. Keppetiwalana. But details of the conversation Sarath Fonseka had with Brig. Keppetiwalana wife were not available.

Lasantha Wickrematunga had been a fierce critic of the corruption and extra-judicial killings in the country and the former Army Chief Sarath Fonseka. He was shot dead in a drive-by shooting by motorcycle gunmen as he drove to his office.

Asian Tribune learnt that the police has already questioned many people on the murder of Lasantha Wickrematunga.

It is further learnt, according to an unconfirmed report that already they have managed to arrest another person who was said to be directly involved in the shooting of the Sunday Leader editor.

According to police, already they have arrested 36 persons in connection with conspiracy to topple the Government and attempt to assassinate President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his family members.

- Asian Tribune -