INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE (IGP) Jayantha Wickramaratne has claimed that several journalists, mostly Sinhalese, were on the payroll of the LTTE and were fully involved in the insurgency.
Police Chief revealed the startling information when interviewed by Sudarman Radaliyagoda for the state owned Independent Television Network (ITN), on Thursday .
He said, "Although the Police know more details of this treason I do not like to reveal all of them since it might obstruct further investigations. They betrayed the noble profession and not only distorted and misreported against Sri Lanka but also worked for cash and other fringe benefits like fully funded foreign trips, he said"
When asked whether it was LTTE front liner Daya Master who had implicated the journalists, the Police Chief said the information with the police pointed the finger of suspicion at the journalists who were Sinhalese.
He said many of them were connected with international organizations and had been always clamouring for media freedom and democratic and human rights of the people.
He said as the curtain was raised, they fled Sri Lanka, alleging threats against their life but actually they had fled the country as they were involved in a crime. "They simply could not face the law," the Inspector General of Police (IGP) said explaining the reason for their departure from the country as the LTTE was losing the war.
The IGP said some of them were misreporting, at the behest of the LTTE, that the Sri Lanka Army was shelling civilians while the LTTE was shooting at the fleeing civilians. They were simply trying to concoct evidence to help friends of the LTTE to prosecute Sri Lanka leaders on war crimes the IGP alleged. But the police chief did not name names during the interview.
Jayantha Wickramaratne said the police did a great service in the defeat of the LTTE by placing roadblocks on highways connecting the Northern Province and Eastern Province with the rest of the provinces in the country. These roadblocks prevented the whole country getting into a chaotic and anarchic situation with bombs exploding everywhere. He said not only at roadblocks but even in trains searches were constantly conducted and 4500 high explosives were caught while they were being transported by LTTE cadres. Speaking very highly of the Special Task Force of the Police, they were constantly chasing after LTTE cadres hiding in jungles and murdering unarmed civilians in adjacent villages.
He said even after the defeat of the LTTE the STF killed 13 LTTE cadres involved in civilian massacres a few days ago.
He said these terrorists are cowards. They always wanted do harm and flee.
(Defence Ministry) (Courtesy: Daily Mirror)
