Politics · Sri Lanka Bureau
Ex-Tiger cadre testifies Ekneligoda discussed plans to target former president
A former LTTE member has told the Colombo High Court that missing journalist Prageeth Ekneligoda proposed assassination plots against former President Mahinda Rajapaksa during the war. The testimony emerged during hearings into Ekneligoda's 2010 disappearance.
LSN Sri Lanka ·
An ex-LTTE cadre identified as Sumathipala Suresh Kumar, known by the nom de guerre Thavendran 'Murali', has provided testimony to a three-member bench of the Colombo High Court regarding discussions he had with Ekneligoda concerning plans to assassinate the former president and government officials.
According to the witness statement, the alleged conversation took place in Habarana during the conflict. The testimony has been presented as part of ongoing court proceedings examining the circumstances surrounding Ekneligoda's disappearance in January 2010, when the journalist vanished after leaving his residence in Colombo.
Ekneligoda, a cartoonist and media personality critical of government policies, was last seen on January 27, 2010, shortly after the conclusion of the armed conflict. His disappearance has remained a subject of legal scrutiny, with various theories emerging about the circumstances.
The High Court bench is investigating the case as part of efforts to establish accountability for enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings that occurred during and after the conflict period. The testimony from former combatants is being considered as evidence in determining what transpired in Ekneligoda's case.