Monday, 12 January 2015 00:40
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Former LTTE chief arms procurer Kumaran Pathmanathan (KP) says he is still in Sri Lanka and has not fled the country as claimed by Parliamentarian Rajitha Senaratne.
Speaking to well-known columnist D.B.S. Jeyaraj, Pathmanathan has said that he is aware of reports claiming he has fled Sri Lanka but he is still in Kilinochchi.
Jeyaraj said that he spoke to knowledgeable sources in Kilinochchi who also confirmed that KP was living in Kilinochchi under protective custody
Senaratne had said yesterday that the Government received information KP fled Sri Lanka using the VIP lounge at the airport and that an investigation has been launched.
KP is wanted in India over the murder of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and the UNP has been consistently questioning the freedom given to KP by the former government here despite all the allegations remaining against his name.
“A UNP Government will explore these allegations through the normal legal channels in the country,” Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had said just before the Presidential elections.
Recently the Indian media reported that India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had approached Interpol to expedite its request to question Kumaran Pathmanathan for the assassination of Gandhi.
The Times of India quoted sources as saying that Interpol’s help has also been sought to convince Sri Lanka to assist in the case and reply to the judicial requests (letters rogatory), which have been pending for years. The CBI feels the case has been held up for very long and should be wrapped up quickly after getting all information from Sri Lanka.
KP was nabbed in Malaysia in August 2009 after which he was kept in detention in Colombo till late 2012. However, he was released to work for his NGO under state protection in Kilinochchi. (Colombo Gazette)
