“How can he, who was in prison from 2015 to 2020, be accused of masterminding Easter Sunday carnage?”

Pivithuru Hela Urumaya Leader Udaya Gammanpila, who appears as counsel for Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, alias Pilleyan, detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), alleged yesterday that the CID had prevented him from speaking freely with his client in violation of the principle of lawyer-client confidentiality.

Appreciating the Director CID SSP Imesha Muthumala granting him access to the leader of the TMVP (Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal), within three hours after he sought an opportunity to meet the former LTTE frontline cadre, turned daring rebel, Gammanpila said that four police officers remained with them throughout the 30-minute meeting.

Gammanpila alleged that the four men remained there though he advised them that a suspect, regardless of the accusations made against him/her, shouldn’t be deprived of an opportunity to speak with his/her lawyer confidentially. The former Minister said that one of the personnel had even taken down notes.

Addressing the media at his Pita Kotte office, Gammanpila said that the way the police handled the matter compelled him to go public with the injustice. The former lawmaker also alleged that the police furnished information about Pilleyan’s arrest to a select group of journalists as part of their strategy to increase pressure on his client. “Therefore, I decided to go public”, he said.

Declaring that he had met Pilleyan last Sunday (13) morning, Gammanpila said social media had reported his arrival at the CID headquarters during his meeting with Pilleyan. Gammanpila said that a Sub Inspector (name mentioned) commented on his (Gammanpila) presence at the CID headquarters on social media. The police hadn’t behaved that way before, Gammanpila said, claiming that a certain DIG was providing information to social media for a fee.

The ex-MP contradicted what Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala had told Parliament. Pilleyan, the former Chief Minister of the Eastern Province hadn’t been questioned on his alleged involvement in the 2019 Easter Sunday carnage.

Gammanpila said he had stepped in after the CID had declined Pilleyan’s lawyer an opportunity to meet him. The CID took Pilleyan into custody on the night of 08 April, in Batticaloa, and brought him to Colombo for questioning.

Responding to The Island query, Gammanpila insisted that even a person apprehended under terms of the PTA, his family/loved ones had to be informed in writing why he/she was taken in. Gammanpila said that even Pilleyan’s relatives couldn’t be denied an opportunity to meet him.

According to Gammanpila, the CID declined a request from a junior lawyer of Pilleyan’s counsel on 09 April and when the matter was brought to his notice, he called Pilleyan’s relatives to his office on 12 April and raised the issue at hand with Director CID Muthumala.

Gammanpila said that he had made a written request seeking an urgent meeting.

Gammanpila quoted Pilleyan as having told him that he was being targeted in spite of fighting on the side of the government, whereas some of those who had fought for the LTTE were in Parliament today. Some LTTEers were rich businessmen while others headed NGOs, Pilleyan alleged, according to Gammanpila, who said, “Pilleyan asked whether he was ill-treated this way for having risked his life in the country’s fight against the LTTE.

Pilleyan has said he had been detained for five years on false charges, but was released by the courts as there was no evidence against him. The former State Minister was referring to the Christmas Day assassination of MP Joseph Pararajasingham (TNA), in Batticaloa, in 2005, which was blamed on him.

Gammanpila paid a glowing tribute to the Eastern Tigers, led by Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan, alias Karuna Amman ,and Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, who played a significant role in the war against the LTTE.

Gammanpila alleged that the NPP, at the behest of separatist elements, had targeted Pilleyan over the disappearance of the Vice Chancellor of the Eastern University, Prof. S. Raveendranath, in Colombo. The former Minister pointed out that this particular allegation had been made on the basis of a claim made by a relative of Deputy Minister Arun Hemachandran, in a complaint to the CID.

Contrary to claims made by the Public Security Minister Wijepala, on 10 April, in Parliament, and President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, in Batticaloa, on 12 April, Pilleyan hadn’t said anything about Easter Sunday carnage, Gammanpila said, alleging that the government was making a despicable attempt to force Pilleyan to make a confession as regards the Easter Sunday carnage.

Gammapila said that if the CID arrested those politicians who had been photographed with Easter Sunday suicide bomber Zahran Hashim there could have been some justification in police action. Pointing out that Pilleyan had been in prison from 2015 to 2020, Gammanpila asked how such a person could be accused of masterminding the Easter Sunday carnage. (SF)