Sri Lankan airports on high alert after top cop flees

COLOMBO: The Sri Lankan government has put airports on alert to stop police detectives leaving without permission after a top officer who had reportedly received death threats fled the island, police said on Tuesday.

The alleged threats against inspector Nishantha Silva came after the November 16 election of Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who was also under investigation by him.

Police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said the names of 704 Criminal Investigation Division (CID) officers had been sent to immigration authorities.

“The move is to ensure that no officer leaves the country without following the proper procedure of obtaining permission for overseas travel,” he said.

The directive came after Silva left Sri Lanka on Sunday, reportedly seeking asylum in Switzerland. Police have launched an inquiry into his departure.

FURORE OVER DEFACED TAMIL SIGNBOARDS

Sri Lankan PM Mahinda Rajapaksa has ordered a probe into the defacing of Tamil-language street signboards, saying the move was aimed at disrupting the November 29 India visit of his brother and the country’s President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The PM instructed officials to put up the Tamil signboards again and called for the arrest of those involved in the acts of vandalism.

Also, the government said it will “review and revisit” the 2015 UNHRC resolution promoting accountability, reconciliation, and human rights for its wartime abuses. Foreign minister Dinesh Gunawardena said Colombo would look at the resolution in a “national viewpoint in order to make it balanced and non-partisan”.