Plans to burn evidence linking Deshabandu to Galle Face attack: Frontline Socialist Party

The Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) yesterday (15) alleged that there are attempts to destroy evidence that proves Western Province Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police (SDIG) Deshabandu Tennakoon had given instructions to two senior police officers in the Western Province to not prevent the attacks on “GotaGoGama” on 9 May.

“The police were inactive on 9 May, which helped the assaulters who attacked the peaceful protestors at ‘GotaGoGama’ at Galle Face Green. It is clear for anybody who watched the television footage from that day how the Police very feebly blocked the road,” said FSP Education Secretary Pubudu Jayagoda at a media briefing held yesterday.

“Why was there no action taken? Now, the Police are arresting those who reacted to the protests – but the Police are not arresting anybody who caused that reaction in the first place. SDIG Tennakoon should be the first to be arrested as he paved the way for this.”

He claimed that on 9 May, SDIG Tennakoon had instructed two other senior police officers in the Western Province to refrain from preventing the pro-Government supporters from entering Galle Face Green.

“SDIG Tennakoon had told the senior officers that Defence Secretary Gen. (Retd.) Kamal Gunaratne had given these instructions. This is recorded in the log books of the policemen who got these instructions. They are going to be burnt now and destroyed,” alleged Jayagoda.

When The Morning contacted SDIG Tennakoon yesterday (15) to obtain his response to these allegations, he replied via text message, saying that he had “only heard them today”. 

Jayagoda called for the arrest of SDIG Tennakoon and Gunaratne.

He also demanded that Inspector General of Police (IGP) C.D. Wickramaratne should also resign, “not just for being unable to prevent the assaults to ‘GotaGoGama’ protestors, but also for being unable to prevent the islandwide violence that followed”. 

Moreover, The Morning reported last week that IGP Wickremaratne had initially instructed senior police officers to not prevent the assaulters from going to “GotaGoGama” by using water cannons and tear gas.

On 9 May, supporters of former Premier Mahinda Rajapaksa gathered at Temple Trees, where they engaged in chants, asking him not to resign. They were addressed by Rajapaksa, inside Temple Trees. Following this, the crowd assaulted the protestors outside Temple Trees, at “MynaGoGama”, where they were engaged in a days-long struggle, demanding his resignation. 

The crowd then moved towards “GotaGoGama”, where they assaulted “Go Home Gota” protesters, setting fire to many temporary structures near the Galle Face Green belonging to the protestors. Former Ministers Johnston Fernando and Namal Rajapaksa were at Temple Trees, whilst video reports show Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) MP Sanath Nishantha forming part of this pro-government mob, and allegations have also been levelled at Moratuwa Mayor Saman Lal Fernando for transporting busloads of people to be a part of the mob. 

Photographs have also emerged of Nishantha and SDIG Tennakoon together at Galle Face Green during the assaults.