Sri Lanka ready to assist investigations on missing former Russian envoy

Former Ambassador to Russia Udayanga Weeratunga

Missing former Ambassador to Russia Udayanga Weeratunga’s diplomatic passport has been cancelled and the Government is awaiting a response from its counterpart in Ukraine to assist with investigations, the Foreign Ministry said yesterday. 

Following an alert from the Ukraine Government in November 2014 on allegations Weeratunga obtained arms for 19 people in Ukraine, the Government in Kiev launched investigations, recalled Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mahishini Colonne. She noted the Sri Lankan Government has had discussions with the Ukraine Ambassador to Sri Lanka and India based in New Delhi and has assured him of the fullest cooperation. 

“The Ukraine Government is yet to update Sri Lanka about the results of the investigation, we are awaiting information. But in the meantime we are ready to send a group of Sri Lankan officials to aid in the probe if they are needed,” she said, adding that no timeline had been set for such an effort. 

Colonne confirmed Weeratunga turned up at the Sri Lankan Embassy in Teheran and attempted to clear a container of his goods shipped to Colombo by giving power of attorney to another person. However the Foreign Ministry through an email had notified Weeratunga of the cancellation of his diplomatic passport and had insisted the power of attorney would not be respected if the passport was not returned. Weeratunga had refused to do so. 

“The container is currently kept at the Colombo Port,” she added. Even though Weeratunga’s diplomatic passport has been cancelled, he still retains a normal Sri Lankan passport. The Foreign Ministry through its embassies had also notified countries of the cancellation of Weeratunga’s diplomatic passport.

Responding to questions as to why Weeratunga’s normal passport has also not been cancelled, Colonne speculated that it was to enable the former Ambassador to return.