CID investigates ministry secretaries digging for LTTE gold

It is reported that the police have commenced investigations regarding two ministerial secretaries who had attempted to recover a stock of gold which was allegedly buried in the Pudukuduirippu area in Mullaitivu before being recovered on a court order.

The CID has launched an investigation into two cabinet ministers’ staff secretaries.

The excavations were scheduled to take place on the 25th of November as per the order of the Mullaitivu Magistrate's Court regarding the gold buried during the war.

However, the excavations have been postponed to December 2 due to the Maha Viru celebrations.

Meanwhile, a Coordinating Secretary to the Minister of Public Security and a Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries had visited the OIC's official residence in Puthukudiyiruppu on the 23rd and claimed to have obtained a court order for excavation and requested the OIC’s assistance to secretly carry out the excavations prior to the 25th.

However, the OIC had refused their request.

The Pudukuduirippu OIC had not informed the senior officials about the visit until a few days later when the SSP in charge of the Mullaitivu division received information regarding the visit of the two secretaries of the two ministries.

It is said that an investigation is underway under the supervision of Mullaitivu ASP Lasantha Vitharana.

Meanwhile, it is reported that the Pudukuduirippu OIC has been appointed on the recommendation of Fisheries Minister Douglas Devananda.

Senior DIG in charge of the Northern Province Jagath Palihakkara has sent a report to the Inspector General of Police and the Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security yesterday (30) regarding the two secretaries of the Ministry who went to excavate gold.

Meanwhile, it is reported that an investigation had commenced yesterday (30) on the directives of the IGP regarding a group of STF officers who had allegedly gone with a person claiming to be the Coordinating Secretary of the Ministry of Public Security and forcibly surveyed a land and searched the house of a woman who owned the land.

The investigation has been initiated following a complaint lodged with the Police Headquarters by a woman landlord named Samanthi Jayakody claiming that the STF had come to her land in Siyambalagahawatte, Ulwalahela, Divulapitiya and tried to forcibly survey it.

According to the complaint lodged by the woman, a team of STF officers had gone to her house for the second time on the 27th in a van and a motorbike and searched her house. She has also provided the Divulapitiya Police with footage of a STF group entering her land.

Her complaint states that a neighbor had prepared forged deeds for her land and tried to sell it to an auctioneer and had lodged a complaint with the Negombo Police Fraud Investigation Division.

Meanwhile, she has complained that Sugath Jayasinghe, who is said to be the Coordinating Secretary to the Minister of Public Security, had come with the STF officers on November 11 and tried to seize her land by force.

On the same day, video evidence showed that they had also damaged the CCTV cameras in her home.

The IGP has handed over the investigation regarding the STF personnel to the Special Investigation Unit.

In addition, the Divulapitiya Police have also launched a special investigation on theorder of the IGP.