Life imprisonment for LTTE intelligence wing cadre amidst bid to abolish PTA

… also indicted for attempt to assassinate MR after war

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Over 13 years after the successful conclusion of the war, the Colombo High Court has sentenced an ex-LTTE intelligence wing member, Thangavelu Nimalan, to life imprisonment.

The Colombo HC gave the ruling on 28 Feb., amidst ongoing efforts to abolish the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).

Nimalan, taken into custody, in Kilinochchi, under the PTA, was indicted in the Colombo HC in 2011. At the time of his arrest, Nimalan had two kilos of RDX explosives in his possession.

According to police headquarters, the convict was also charged with alleged involvement in attempts to assassinate the then President Mahinda Rajapaksa during the war and afterwards.

Investigations revealed an abortive plot by the LTTE to trigger explosions at the Maligapitiya ground, Kurunegala, on 02 Feb, 2009 and at a Badulla rally on 05 August, 2009 held in support of UPFA Local Government candidates contesting the Uva Provincial Council polls.

Nimalan was also indicted on carrying out a claymore mine attack on a truck carrying a group of police commandos on 28 May, 2007 and organising a suicide attack on a gathering near Godapitiya Jumma Mosque, Akuressa, on 13 March 2009. The blast killed 14 persons and left 35 others seriously injured. Among those present at the event were lawmakers A. H. M. Fowzie, Mahinda Wijesekara, Mahinda

Yapa Abeywardena, Pandu Bandaranaike, the late Chandrasiri Gajadeera and Ali Ameer.

Police headquarters said that Nimalan had been with a group of operatives, under the command of the then LTTE intelligence wing leader, identified as Muththappan.

The arrest of Nimalan, along with several others assigned to the Muththappan’s group, led to the recovery of explosives, suicide kits and a range of equipment.

The TNA has been demanding the abolition of the PTA, and its campaign has received the backing of Western powers, the United Nations Human Rights Council, and the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL), which has said the offence of terrorism should be included in the Penal Code with a new definition for terrorism. The HRCSL has advocated that terrorism should be investigated under the General Law of the country with necessary amendments.