The trial over the alleged abduction of journalist, political cartoonist and columnist Prageeth Eknaligoda in August 2009 resumed at the Homagama High Court on Tuesday (July 28), with a key prosecution witness identifying several accused before Court.
Sumathipala Suresh Kumara alias Thavendran, also known as “Murali”, the fourth prosecution witness in the case, testified before the High Court amid tight police and Special Task Force (STF) security.
The trial before the Homagama High Court involves seven Army Intelligence officers accused of abducting Eknaligoda on August 27, 2009. The separate case regarding his alleged disappearance on January 24, 2010 is being heard before a Permanent Trial-at-Bar in Colombo.
Testifying in Court, Murali revealed that he was a former LTTE cadre who worked with the Sri Lanka Army after surrendering at the end of the war. He told Court that he had first met Eknaligoda in the early 2000s during a religious festival at the Madhu Shrine in Mannar. Former Parliamentarians Selvam Adaikalanathan and Dr. Jayalath Jayawardena had also attended the event, and Adaikalanathan had introduced him to Eknaligoda.
The witness said their friendship continued until the 2004 tsunami disaster. Following his surrender to the Army, Murali said he was initially detained at the Trincomalee Army Camp before being transferred to the Giritale Army Camp, where he was handcuffed and held in custody.
While in detention, he claimed Army personnel had instructed him to contact various individuals using his mobile phone with the speaker function activated. He also told the Court that, at the time of his surrender, officers had found a telephone number in his possession belonging to Prageeth Eknaligoda.
During his testimony, Murali identified several accused persons, including Chammikumara Ratnam and Prabodha Siriwardena, in open Court. However, when he attempted to testify about alleged conversations he had with Eknaligoda in January 2010, Defence Counsel raised objections, arguing that matters relating to January 2010 were connected to the separate indictment being heard before the Colombo Permanent Trial-at-Bar.
Both the prosecution and defence made lengthy submissions regarding the objection. State Counsel Voxwell Perera led evidence on behalf of the prosecution, while President’s Counsel Rasika Balasuriya appeared for the accused. After considering submissions from both sides, the Homagama High Court Judge directed the parties to submit written arguments on the legal issue and postponed further proceedings until September 30.
Meanwhile, the Colombo Permanent Trial-at-Bar hearing the case relating to Eknaligoda’s alleged disappearance in 2010 recently granted the Attorney General’s request to recall Murali for further examination.
Murali had earlier given evidence before the Magistrate’s Court implicating the accused but later changed his testimony during proceedings before the Trial-at-Bar. Through his lawyer, he later informed the Court that he had altered his evidence after allegedly receiving death threats from the first accused, former Giritale Army Camp Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Shammi Kumararatne.
The Attorney General has filed indictments against nine Military Intelligence personnel, including Lieutenant Colonel Kumararatne, over allegations that Eknaligoda was abducted and secretly detained at locations including Giritale, Habarana and Kottawa on or around January 25, 2010. Eknaligoda disappeared two days before the 2010 Presidential Election.