Elite squad under former Military Intelligence Director killed Lasantha: CID

Field Marshall Sarath Fonseka told the Criminal Investigation Division (CID) that an elite squad operating under former Military Intelligence Director Major General Kapila Hendawitharana had killed former Sunday Leader Editor Lasantha Wickremetunga, CID told Court today.

It was the same elite squad that had carried out the attacks on former Rivira Editor Upali Tennekoon, and former Nation Deputy Editor Keith Noyahr, the CID quoted Field Marshall Fonseka as having said in a statement to the CID.

Field Marshall Fonseka had further told the CID retired Major General Ajith Perera had been in charge of affairs relating to Colombo and the suburbs at the time.

Wickremetunga was killed en route to work on January 8, 2019. His murder was widely condemned. In a posthumous editorial the former Editor of the Sunday Leader held former President Mahinda Rajapaksa responsible for his death. 

Former Rivira Editor Upali Tennekoon was attacked no less that two weeks Lasantha was murdered. Tennekoon, who escaped the assault, left the country, as did Keith Noyahr who was abducted and assaulted in May 2008. The cases saw little progress under the last regime but have been actively pursued under the present government.

Wickremetunga’s body was exhumed in September last year, and the Criminal Investigation Division (CID) of the Police told Court today the most recent postmortem results had revealed that Wickremetunga had died as a result of an sharp instrument being inserted into his head, and not by shooting as believed earlier.