Human rights activist and the wife of disappeared journalist Prageeth Ekneligoda, Sandya, yesterday (February 5) urged President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to ensure her safety following the death threat she received from a person who claimed himself “a retired Army Brigadier”.
Speaking to the media Ms. Ekneligoda stated that she received a telephone call on January 16 from a mobile telephone number 0751679672 and the caller had threatened her to be quiet or else she would have to face a similar fate as her husband.
“I have been receiving threats from various people over the past 16 years since I was fighting for justice for my husband. But this call scares me,” Ms. Ekneligoda told journalist.
“I am not surprised if this threat came during a previous regime. But I am surprised it comes under the regime of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake,” she said.
She complained that she was further shocked to know that one of the accused facing trial over the abduction of Prageeth had been promoted by the army.
“Reflecting on the pattern how people have been murdered, I even could be killed by a vehicle accident or in a similar way. But I want to inform the public and the media before that happens and ask them to stand by me,” Sandhya urged.
Following the threatening call, Sandhya has written to the President and complained to the Victims of Crime and Witnesses Assistance and Protection Division of the Sri Lanka Police. She has also written to other international organizations like the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
According to Sandhya, so far no response has been received from the President.
“I was told that the telephone number is an unregistered number. But I am sure the police can find some information,” she said.
Sandhya has been fighting for justice for her husband who was abducted on January 24 2010, two days prior to the 2010 presidential elections, in which Mahinda Rajapaksa emerged the victor.
Nine years after the disappearance of Ekneligoda, in 2019, a Special Trial-at-Bar served indictments on nine army officials for ‘kidnapping and conspiring to murder’ journalist Prageeth Ekneligoda during a time between January 25 to 27, 2010.
The Attorney General who sought a trial-at-bar considering the seriousness of the case had filed indictments, with17 charges under Section 450(4) of Criminal Procedure Act No 15 of 1979 as amended by Act No 21 of 1988 in the High Court against nine Army Intelligence Officers attached to the Giritale Army camp in connection with the abduction and murder of journalist Ekneligoda. The accused included Lieutenant Colonel Shammi Arjun Kumararatne, R.M.P.K. Rajapaksa alias Nadan, W. W. Priyantha Dilanjan Upasena alias Suresh, S.M. Ravindra Rupasena alias Ranji, Y.M Chaminda Kumara Abeyratne, S. M. Kanishka Gunaratne, Aiyyasami Balasubramaniyam, D.G.T Prasad Gamage and T.E.R. Peiris was accused in the case for abduction charges. However the trial before the Colombo Special Trail at bar had come to a standstill as two out of three judges were absent. The case which was taken up on February 2 had been postponed to May 4.
Sandhya has also urged President Dissanayake to take action to appoint judges for trail and finish the trial within this year.