(Lanka-e-News -29.April.2015, 11.30PM) President Maithripala Sirisena is a politician who escaped 6 assassination attempts on him . On 9 th October 2008 , in Boralesgamuwa , his car was targeted for attack by a suicide bomber , stories did the rounds at that time the Rajapakse regime was involved. Now , as recently as 25 th of this month , when Maithri was at Hambantota , the fortress of the Rajapakses , an army corporal with a weapon allegedly attached to the security detail of Namal Rajapakse threateningly moved into close quarters of Maithri. Though he was reckoned as a suspect he has still not been arrested. Lanka e news learns that the CID had only recorded a statement of his , even without dispossessing him of the weapon , and released him.
Police media spokesman , ASP Ruwan Gunasekera answering queries posed by Lanka e news , while confirming these details said , statements have been recorded of over 15 persons. Among them were PSD officers, STF officers , and the army corporal. However so far , a statement of Namal Rajapakse had not been recorded. A statement from PSD chief DIG S.M. Wickremesinghe had also not been recorded in connection with the security lapse, Gunasekera further confirmed.
It is being widely questioned whether the police are following a new policy of making arrests only after the president is shot down .
Based on the probe conducted by the Lanka e news inside information division , there are a number of reasons to suspect that an assassination bid was made by the Rajapakses on Mathripala , and that misfired.
The suspicious statement made by Mahinda
1. On the 22 nd , that is three days before the assassination attempt made on the 25 th , Mahinda made an intriguing statement to a AFP in relation to his defeat on the 8 th. ‘The PSD slit my throat. My senior security personnel senior DIG S. M. Wickremesinghe betrayed me. Not only the DIG , even the tea taster betrayed me.'
This well and truly confirms it is an assassination bid , because Wickremesinghe is now the chief security officer of Maithripala Sirisena.
Based on Mahinda’s comments , according to him it would have been alright if he was overthrown on a military coup on 8th January or lost in a hard fought contest with Maithri in the elections. On the contrary he claims he lost because he held elections on 8 th January two years prior to the scheduled date of elections , the people voted against him. If this is the truth , the possibilities of the tea taster or his security chief betraying him which Mahinda is alleging is out of the question.
This Wickremesinghe about whom Mahinda is accusing was in the security detail of his for 18 years , of which 9 years he spent with Mahinda when he was the president as his chief security officer. Moreover , when Mahinda fled on 8 th January to Medamulana by helicopter , it was Wickremesinghe who travelled with him for Mahinda’s security , and when Mahinda hung on his house window like a bat and was yelling out , Wickremesinghe was with him. Wickremesinghe thereafter returned to Colombo only after two weeks. After returning he was awaiting a transfer to Jaffna.
While this is the backdrop , why did Mahinda three days prior to the assassination bid made by Namal’s security officer suddenly tell the foreign media that DIG Wickremesinghe betrayed him?
This is simply because he knew ahead , three days later there is going to be some incident involving Maithripala , for which the latter’s security chief, Wickremesinghe will be held responsible . Hence in order to disclaim to the world he has no connection with Wickremesinghe , and to ward off any suspicion that may be aroused on the latter , he made these remarks .Mahinda’s story about the ‘tea taster’ to the AFP is also an index by implication of a plot to poison Maithripala.
Opinions of specialists :
2. Several opinions have emerged in regard to the president’s security lapse :
In world’s history , nowhere has a security personnel of a VIP after the latter leaves his post been retained as the security personnel of the new VIP . Such a theory never exists. This is because the security contingent of the first VIP is always loyal and partial towards the previous VIP and not towards the successor. Yet , after the exit of Mahinda , when the option was given to the security officers of Mahinda to leave or remain ,some of them continued to remain , and served in the security contingent of Maithripala . Such a thing never happens in the world.
3. The issue revolving around DIG Wickremesinghe is : When he was providing security to ex president Mahinda Rajapakse , he maintained three security rings around the ex president , and all the police officers even 200 meters away from Mahinda were dispossessed of their weapons. Then how come such a security chief did not maintain that stringent security pertaining to Maithripala ? When the Corporal ,( the suspect) was caught , how many meters away from president Maithripala was he?
4. This suspect was apprehended by an STF officer only after his coming close to the president passing two security barriers . When this suspect was caught he had in his possession an automatic 9 m.m. pistol fully loaded . He was within shooting range of the president , and very close. When this suspect who was apprehended and handed over to the PSD , based on what confidence did Wickremesinghe give the order to release the suspect ? Just by learning that the suspect is Namal ‘s security officer , did his suspicions melt away ? Nevertheless , Namal later on told the media that the suspect is not of his security detail. An M.P can have only ministerial security division (MSD) officers , not army corporals, then how did Wickremesinghe release the suspect without batting an eyelid ? After his release , it is the STF officers who apprehended him again.
5. In the circumstances , serious doubts and suspicions have arisen relating to the security detail of the incumbent president . Hence a fresh security contingent is the best option. Those who are chosen should also be screened cautiously based on the reports impartially furnished by the intelligence divisions. In the future , the theory of ‘ whoever wishes can stay , and others can leave ‘ should not be followed ,and avoided.
6. It is true that Maithripala and Wickeremesinghe are friends. Wickremesinghe is the son of a farmer of Polonnaruwa who was selected ‘Govi Raja’ of Polonnaruwa ,and Maithripala has been helpful to him. Even for Wickremesinghe ‘s education even during the time when he entered University Maithri has extended support. Later on , after his University education , Maithri by speaking to Sirimavo Bandaranaike , secured for Wickremesinghe an ASP post in the police. Yet , now Wickremesinghe is not above suspicion for he had been serving under Mahinda for 18 years ,and while he should have provided security to the VIP with extra caution and whose safety he is in charge , he had seriously lapsed in his duty. He is absolutely responsible for this failure .
Though Maithripala may allow room for a repetition of the same mistake , the people who elected him do not want that to happen. This is because the people are well aware that these villainous Rajapakses are brutal murderers , and have no qualms about killing even their closest friend if that will serve their selfish power greedy aims. Moreover, the people are also aware the Rajapakse venom and vengeance are not against Ranil but mostly against Maithripala Sirisena and Chandrika Kumaratunge .
By a LeN special columnist
Translated by Jeff
---------------------------
by (2015-04-29 18:18:08)
Read 62364 Times
Leave a Reply
0 discussion on this news