Tuesday, September 14, 2004

Reginald Cooray denounces killing of Intelligence ops - The Island

Cabinet Spokesman Reginald Cooray yesterday, in answer to a query regarding Wednesday’s slaying of a Police Intelligence operative, allegedly by the LTTE near the Batticaloa Hospital, said he denounced the act

He was addressing the media at the Information Department.

Responding to a question on what measures the government would take in this matter, Cooray said, "unfortunately, the truce monitors too are ineffective and unable to control this menace. The last UNF government kept mum over the spate of killings in the past. We are at least totally denouncing these gruesome acts of violence against the intelligence operatives".

It is presumed that the killing spree, where over 40 members of the Intelligence units have been killed by the LTTE, had commenced following a raid conducted on an Intelligence Safe House at Millennium City in Athurugiriya, during the last UNF regime.

A Presidential Commission of inquiry into the raid had held the former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe, Former Defence Minister Tilak Marapane and former Interior Minister John Amaratunga responsible for the raid, and thereby exposed many intelligence operatives.

The 23rd victim had been Police Inspector Nimal Thabrew, who was gunned down at the Dehiwela Police Station in December last year.

(The Island , May 21, 2004 - 01:34)