Police under fire over Jeyaraj murder

LTTE suicide Black Tigers have killed six VIPs, including former President Ranasinghe Premadasa, former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandi, Presidential candidate Gamini Dissanayake, former Defence Minister Ranjan Wijerathne, former Industrial Minister C.V.Gunarathne, former Minister Jeyraj Fernandopulle and also attempted to kill former President Chandrika Kumaratunge, Minister Douglas Devananda and Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva.

Security lapses led to the killing of Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle, by an LTTE suicide bomber on April 6th, according to Defence authorities.

Late Minister Jeyaraj Feranadopulle, was a high profile target for the LTTE hit squad, as mentioned in this column, in January. When a claymore killed late Minister D.M. Dasanayake on January 8th, ,this column revealed that, the target was not late Minister D.M.Dasanayake, but the target was Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle, and the target was missed.

Army Commander Lt. Gen Sarath Fonseka had personally called late Minister Fernandopulle. on January 9th, and discussed with him, and informed him that, according to Military Intelligence, there was a threat on the Minister’s life, and asked him, to take additional precautions.

A State Intelligence Services(SIS) senior official, had informed about the threat at a high level conference, participated by IGP, Senior DIG, DIG Colombo North and Gampaha SSP and STF Officials, regarding the threat to late Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle.

Police provided, Police elite force security (STF) to Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle, with Chief Inspector Kannangara of Police Task Force, as a Personnel Security Officer and 17 STF trained personnel, and a bullet proof vehicle, to the late Minister, as well as two STF back up jeeps. Ministerial Security Division officials (MSD) also guarded, his residence and office.

Advance security and close security protection, was also provided by STF.

LTTE has been continuously keeping an eye on the late Minister, because, as a Tamil, he harshly criticised the LTTE, at any forum and justified Military Operations. He also participated in the Geneva peace talks.

LTTE Strategy to carry out suicide missions on VIP’S

• Continued surveillance of VIPs
  
• Intelligence gathering about VIPs
  
• Gathering intelligence analysis and planning the attack
  
• Communicating with LTTE Intelligence head Pottu Amman and reporting about the movements of VIPs
  
• Rehearsals conducted in LTTE controlled area
  
• Safe house for accommodating the suicide bomber
  
• LTTE cadres allocated to smuggling suicide jackets, to safe house
  VIP security experts like STF personnel are well trained, thus they should be able to provide security to a Minister. If they fail to do so, it is a serious lapse.
  
  Senior DIG Mahinda Balasuriya who is a senior DIG for North and East, was appointed by the IGP, to a rank above the STF commandant, to overlook STF from September 23rd, 2007.
  
  Senior DIG Mahinda Balasuriya, was well aware of the threat on the Minister’s life, and he personally attended to the security arrangements of the Minister.
  
  On Sunday, LTTE terrorists exploded a bomb targetting a road marathon organised in Weliweriya, around 7.30 am
  
  Highways and Road Development Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle, who was the chief guest at the occasion, along with many civilians were killed, in the cowardly bomb attack. 15 people were killed and many injured in the explosion.   
  
  K.A. Karunarathne, who was a former national and South Asian marathon gold medalist, was also among the dead. 
  
  The bomb exploded, seconds before the Minister declared the start of the marathon, at the Kanthi playground, in Weliweriya, as part of a ‘Sinhala and Hindu New Year’ event.
  
  Meanwhile, Gampaha Division SSP Hector Dharmasiri was also seriously injured and admitted to the General Hospital at Gampaha. At least 90 people were admitted to Gampaha Hospital, with serious injuries. Three civilians were also admitted to Ragama Teaching Hospital, and one was reported to be in critical condition, according to hospital sources.
  
  Minister Jeyaraj was fluent in all three languages; Sinhalese, Tamil and English. Being an ardent Catholic, the Minister expressed his concerns, over LTTE’s occupation of sacred Madhu church, and the removal of the Madhu statue.
  
  Security lapses
  Organisers of the marathon event had informed the Minister, that the race would start at 6.30 am. The Minister arrived there. But the security arrangements were not done properly. At that time, only one ASP and few constables were on duty. The organisers informed the Minister, that the race would start at 7.30am. The Minister left the location highly disappointed.
  
  He went to two temples and talked with Buddhist monks and arrived again at 7.30 am. What was the reason for the delay?
  
  Neither STF nor Gampaha Police conducted body checks on organisers, athletes and people who arrived at the venue. When a high profile LTTE targetted Minister participates in an event, held in an open area “a body check is absolutely necessary,” a VIP security expert said.
  
  “There was no inner perimeter security circle for the Minister. Why was that?”
  
  “Has STF conducted any intelligence to counter suicide attacks? If STF conducted such intelligence, today the Minister would have been alive,” an experienced VIP security officer, who had undergone training in Israel,” queried.
  
  The suicide bomber was shorter than the Minister, and thus, the Minister’s face was not damaged.
  
  The bomber blew himself up targetting the Minister’s back. When the explosion happened, the Minister was on the left side of the road, but after the explosion, his body was found on the right side of the road.
  
  According to preliminary investigations, the bomber was not a marathon runner, because he wore a suicide jacket packed with C4 explosives. The jacked contained three and half or four kilos of iron bicycle balls. “This kind of jacket can’t be covered with a skinny top, worn by a marathon runner,” an explosives expert said.
  
  Presidential candidate late Gamini Dissanayake’s suicide bomber, was seated within a 50 metre radius, at a public rally, and it was clear that, the security personnel had not conducted a body check. At that time, late Gamini Dissanayake’s security, was under the responsibility of DIG Mahinda Balasuriya.
  
  During the attempt to kill former President Chandrika Kumaratunge, the suicide bomber, managed to enter the town hall political meeting. Even then, there was no body check on people who arrived. At that time the DIG of the Presidential Security Division was Victor Perera, the present IGP.
  
  Later Minister Lakshman Kadirgamer was assassinated by a sniper gunner. Security had not conducted a search operation on the neighbouring houses. Because of this negligence, the country lost one of the most valuable leaders who stood against terrorism.
  
  The high-ranking officials, who were responsible for the above incident, still remain in their hot seats. As long as, they are inefficient and incapable and held unaccounted, it is an advantage to the LTTE, to assassinate VIPs in this country.