Convenor of the Inter-University Students Federation Wasantha Mudalige who was released from remand prison this week has accused several top policemen of plotting to assassinate him. Mudalige holding a press conference yesterday revealed in detail the events that took place following his arrest on 18 August last year following a protest march. “The script was never to release us,” he said.
According to Mudalige, after being arrested by a special unit attached to the Peliyagoda Police led by ASP Mahinda Willoarachchi he was secretly taken to the Enderamulla police station the next day. There he says Willoarachchi acted in a threatening manner towards him. Recalling the conversation, Mudalige says the top cop placed a firearm on the table and asked him if he wanted to go the same way as Rohana Wijeweera and Vijaya Kumaratunge. “He said we want to murder you but are unable to do so due to the current situation,” Mudalige claimed, adding that the ASP then threatened to send him to prison for two years.
Mudalige said the police continued to merely detain him without obtaining any statement from him. The IUSF convener also accused the police of moving him to various locations during the time for no clear purpose such as the barracks of the Foreshore Police and the parking lot of the Kaduwela Nawagamuwa Devalaya. At all of these locations, Mudalige said he was threatened and told of other hits carried out by the police in a bid to terrorise and silence him. He also accused the relevant police officers of blocking his access to lawyers and other persons including civil society groups and the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka. “They were plotting how to kill and silence us,” he accused. “Are these locations we were taken to investigation locations? The IGP, Terrorist Investigation Division and the Peliyagoda must explain these acts,” he said.
Mudalige said the investigations into him were eagerly taken over at the TID by ASP Lasantha Ratnayake, who is an accused in the extra-judicial killing of underworld figure 'Army Suranga' in June 2006. “He was assigned to create evidence against us,” Mudalige accused. He also accused ASP Ajantha Rodrigo of the Riot Squad of fabricating evidence against him. However, the IUSF convener also commended many other police officers who supported and protected them during his time in detention.
