By The Easter Sunday bombing investigations could be seriously challenged if the revelations made by the former Director of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) become true.
Shani Abeysekera, who is on bail, has filed a petition in Supreme to prevent his possible arrest and detention under the prevention of terrorism laws arrest on new charges.
The former detective claims that there is an attempt to charge him new allegations on how he had conducted the Easter Sunday bombing and its mastermind M.H.M. Zahran. Abeyeskara claims that he discharged his duties diligently but was obstructed on numerous occasions. Shani Abeysekara points out that the Easter bombers were swiftly arrested because of the investigations that were carried out previously.
Revenge:
The tough investigator Shani Abeysekara claims that this all boils down to revenge as he had investigated many of the high ups during the previous regime and now these high-ups who are once again in power want to place him behind bars once again.
Revelations from Shani Abesekaras petition:
· Jamil’s connections- Failed Taj bomber Jamil who exploded himself at trpical inn Dehiwala had connections with Military Intelligence according to former IGP Pujith Jayasundara. Shani Abey sekara points out that military Intelligence officers have firstly visited Jamil’s mother’s house in Wellampitiya to find the whereabouts of Jamil, and after that proceeded to the house of Jamil in Dematagoda before the blast in Tropical Inn occurred, without ever informing the CID and this could have disrupted investigations.
· Sonic-Sonic and SIS link-Shani claims that agent code-name “Sonic-Sonic” was linked to to the State Intelligence Service. The sim card used by this agent had been purchased by a policewoman sergeant attached to Colombo City Traffic Division when the CID interrogated the woman police sergeant and she revealed that she has given the said SIM card to one Sub Inspector Bandara who is attached to the SIS, whom she claimed to have an affair with . However when Shani and team were about to
interrogate said SI Bandara DIG SIS Sampath Liyanage intervened and stopped the interrogation saying it was all part of a covert operation that had implications to national security.
Although the interrogation went ahead the Si Bandara refused to give information on the dealings that evolved around the Sonic agent or Podi Saharan who is supposed to have had dealings with Sonic.
· Cop killings -it is claimed by Shani that Vavunathivu (Batticaloa) cop killings was also hampered by the Directorate of Military Intelligence to pin the issue on to the LTTE and absolve Zaharan and clan who were realy behind the incident
· Nalaka Silva : DIG Nalaka Silva, who was very much on Zaharan’s trail also was asked to stop investigations claims Abeysekara, DIG Nalaka Silva’ was arrested subsequent to acquisitions made by Namal Kumara, an ex-military intelligence officer on an assassination plot against the former and current presidents and according to Shani Abeysekara this had serious implications of arresting the Easter bombers and avoiding the incident
· Zaharan’s link :The petition of Abeysekera mentions of an incident that an Intelligence Officer directly linked to Zaharan who had been identified by the FBI of the USA was prevented from being interrogated by the CID
. “The Ministry of Defense through the then DMI Director Brigadier Chula Kodithuwakku prevented the CID from detaining the said individual asserting that the activities of the said individual were classified as national security reasons as his activities were part of a secret military intelligence” has said in his petition to the courts.
