Death threats as "scare tactics", says lawyer

The Criminal Inve s t i gation Department (CID) is expected to question more witnesses in the coming days, as it probes the alleged massacre of prisoners at the Welikada Prison in November 2012.

Several Prison officers serving at the Welikada Prison at the time of the incident, which left 27 inmates dead, are among those likely to be questioned next, the Sunday Times understands.

Earlier this week, CID detectives questioned Sudesh Nandimal Silva, a key eyewitness in the case, over a statement he gave to the CID in 2015, regarding the incident. The questioning followed a writ petition filed on April 4 by Attorney- at- Law Senaka Perera, on behalf of Mr Nandimal, seeking the court’s intervention to order authorities to commence investigations into the Welikada Prison incident.

Five respondents were named in the petition. They are the Commissioner General of Prisons, Director- CID, the Inspector General of Police, Minister of Prison Reforms, Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Hindu Religious Affairs and the Attorney General (AG).

When the case was called in the court on July 7, the AG had requested more time to study the case. It has now been fixed for July 28.

Mr Silva, who was a remand prisoner at the time of the incident, told the Sunday Times that he had lodged a complaint with the CID in February 2015 over the “massacre” of prisoners in November 2012. “However, there had been no action taken regarding this complaint for two years. It was only after we filed a writ petition in the Court of Appeal that the police finally woke up,” he charged.

The writ petition alleges that the Terrorist Investigation Dept, Special Task Force, Prison Intelligence and the Army were involved in the killings of inmates inside the prison.

It states that witness, Sudesh Nandimal Silva, had seen one prisoner, identified as Thushara, being dragged along the floor and shot near the gate. He had seen another inmate, identified as Amila Malik Perera alias ‘ Konda Amila’, being taken in handcuffs, before subsequently learning that he had been killed.

Attorney-at-Law Senaka Perera said he felt those involved in the massacre of prisoners were now using “scare tactics.” He noted that death threats made to him and Mr Silva on July 11, were part of these efforts. Mr Perera and Mr Silva have lodged complaints regarding the alleged death threats at the Nittambuwa and Tissamaharama police stations respectively.

“I also lodged a complaint with the Bar Association of Sri Lanka regarding the threat leveled against me as a lawyer, as it is also a threat to the legal profession,” Mr Perera disclosed.

Mr Silva, who is also the Secretary of the Committee for Protecting Rights of Prisoners, said, while he was encouraged that the CID had finally begun an inquiry into the case, almost five years after the incident, he was skeptical whether those behind the alleged massacre would ever be brought to justice. “Someone gave these people orders to murder those prisoners,” he stressed. “My fear is that they will simply punish a few individuals who participated in the massacre, while all the big fish will go free. I actually told the CID investigators that.”