Army Chief orders MP probe into Wellawa killing
Army Commander Daya Ratnayake ordered the Military Police (MP) to conduct a probe into a case where three soldiers were taken into custody over a contract killing they had allegedly carried out in Wellawa which involved a transaction of Rs.2 million.
The three soldiers were arrested by the police in the aftermath of the incident where a person was killed on a contract given to them by his wife.
The deceased, Janaka Priyantha (31), a businessman, was slashed to death in the Neliyawa area in Wellawa on March 8. It was alleged that there had been a long running land dispute between him and his wife. It was suspected that this was what made his wife, Nadeesha Sarojini, who is the main suspect, to instruct her brother, a soldier, to kill her husband.
Lieutenant General Ratnayake had directed the Military Police (MP) to initiate a Court of Inquiry (CoI) against them for trial. The suspects were currently in re
It was alleged that there had been a long running land dispute between him and his wife. It was suspected that this was what made his wife, Nadeesha Sarojini, who is the main suspect, to instruct her brother, a soldier, to kill her husband
mand custody after they were produced before the Kurunegala Magistrate.
In a statement Lt. General Ratnayake noted that a handful of soldiers, who joined the organization during the height of humanitarian operations, who did not care about the reputation and dignity of the Sri Lanka Army, had been involved in anti social acts of this nature.
He said that instructions had already been issued by him to take action against such errant soldiers in parallel with ‘zero tolerance’ policy on Army wrongdoers and expel them from the Army upon conclusion of CoI hearings.