A former army soldier is suspected to have committed suicide in the early hours today at his residence in Kegalle after apparently claiming that he murdered former Sunday Leader Editor Lasantha Wickrematunge.

He claimed responsibility for the murder of Wickrematunge in a suicide note found in his pocket.

In this note, he claims that the officer currently in remand custody, Malinda Udalagama, is innocent of the crime.

Udalagama is the only one who has been arrested over the murder. The police had sought public assistance to locate two individuals in connection with the crime.

Lasantha Wickrematunge was murdered on January 8, 2009, while he was on his way to work.