Kurunegala district UPFA candidate and ex-president Mahinda Rajapaksa said he would probe the killing of ruggerite Wassim Thajudeen if his party was elected to office at the general election. The killing took place in 2012 when Mahinda was in power and such killing was normal during his rule hence the killings were never probed to by the police as they knew these abductions and killings were done with the blessing of the Mahindas close associates and even if the killers were arrested they were ordered to be released by Rajapakshas within hours of arrest.
Thajudeen’s death – which was brushed under the carpet by Sri Lanka’s law enforcement authorities three years ago – has now become a matter of contention. The Criminal Investigations Department, which conducted investigations into the death over a period of five months, have already informed the court that it was a murder and the Rugby player was brutally tortured before his death!
Mahinda as usual told a packed news conference held today to discuss a host of election-related issues and his political stance that the murder should be probed to ascertain the truth, but a journalist laught and said that this is another false promise of Mahinda who did not do it since 2012 to 2015 when he was in power. Several political leaders have accused the Rajapaksa family of being involved in the alleged murder of Thajudeen in 2012 but eventually kept silent due to fear for their own lives by the Rajapaksha’s army.
It had been alleged that those linked to the Rajapaksa regime were behind this murder and according to reports three Presidential Security Division (PSD) personnel are said to have had a hand in it hence if Mahinda wins the ‘killings will become an accidental death’ as before in the Mahinda’s ruling period. It was an unspoken truth that any one spoke or worked against Rajapaksha’s will be abducted and disappeared. Abductions and killings were done in open day light by the government security forces with the blessing of the Rajapaksha’s and after abductions the vehicle belonging to Army were allowed to drive the police check points without being stopped due to orders from the top.
The Magistrate’s Court has ordered the exhumation of the body for further forensic examinations. Mr. Rajapaksa said this had happened in 2012, but suddenly, the government had reopened the case during this election for political purposes. “They were in power for the past six months. They could have done it. But, they did not. They waited till now to implicate me in this case,” he said.
Mr. Rajapaksa, flanked by other UPFA leaders including Susil Premajayantha, Wimal Weerawansa and Dinesh Gunawardane, said he made certain mistakes during his tenure, but would not allow anyone to take the law into their hands in future like last time when he was in power. It is alleged some his family members and his close associates were involved in abductions, killings and had made millions by fraudulent activities.
Mr. Rajapaksa said if elected to office he would implement his election manifesto while carrying forward the projects outlined in his Mahinda Chintana polices presented previously which were not done although he promised to do it in the previous elections, Mahinda is well known to make false promises.
A senior officer of the Police Department said fresh investigations into Thajudeen’s death started in February. He said the Criminal Investigations Department carried out inquiries for nearly four months and investigated into every aspect of the case.
Wasim Thajudeen died in 2012 in what was described as an accident. However, the CID recently told the Colombo Fort Magistrate that the death is no accident. Considering a request by the CID, the Colombo Additional Magistrate Nishantha Peiris gave permission recently to exhume Thajudeen’s remains. The exhumation is scheduled for tomorrow.
Thajudeen Murder Case; UPFA Wants Country To Return To Lawlessness: AHRC
CID filed a report at the Magistrates Court of Colombo, seeking to re-open criminal proceedings regarding the alleged murder of the rugby player Wasim Thajudeen. Wasim, who was a well known rugby player and voted as the most popular ruggerite for the year 2009 by Caltex Observer Touchdown Rugby quiz, was found dead on 16 May 2012………………. read all
Political arena ablaze with 2012 death of Wasim Thajudeen …